Rafael Yoneta Monte and Paulo Roberto Salvi are leading the initiative, whose objective is to address the demands of members and the sector, as well as to encourage discussion on the topic, which is increasingly important in the context of digital health in Brazil.
Interoperability plays a key role in improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. Its enormous transformative potential in the patient journey allows us to move away from a fragmented and redundant service delivery model. Furthermore, it is a fundamental pillar for migrating to a patient-centric model, optimizing the use of resources and improving the quality of care through an interconnected journey.
Data fragmentation, lack of standardization of information and the communication format between systems are perhaps the main challenges in this journey. Historically, health data has been stored in silos that do not communicate with each other and do not allow for the exchange of information. The entire architecture of the health system was built on this premise, but over time the need for greater exchange of information between systems has become evident, which has led to changes in the system in place. These changes have been happening slowly but in a complex manner. In addition to data fragmentation, interoperability brings new challenges related to the responsibility for data protection and information security among system operators.
Currently, interoperability is at the center of any discussion about health systems, and in Saúde Digital Brasil (SDB) this topic also occupies a prominent place.
“This is an essential issue for us to be able to evolve in the delivery of healthcare services in a more efficient and less costly manner. There is no way to think about the future of the healthcare market with the fragmented data we have today. This impacts the entire patient journey and, consequently, the quality of healthcare”, explains Paulo Salvi, who recently took over, with Rafael Yoneta Monte, the coordination of the Digital Health Brazil Interoperability Group.
Composed mostly of IT professionals and data managers, the GT deals with interoperability in the private sector and its interfaces with the public health system, with supplementary health and throughout the health chain. The focus of this new management's work will be to discuss the main issues and challenges surrounding this complex topic, including the Single Medical Record. The goal is not only to collaborate in the progress of implementing interoperability in Brazil, but also to consolidate best practices by combining the experience, knowledge and positioning of the different actors involved in the process.
According to the group's coordinator, Rafael Yoneta Monte, this exchange broadens the discussion and allows the entity to be a technical reference to conduct the debate with the level of detail and security necessary for the importance of the topic, benefiting a larger portion of society.
“Given the complexity of the interoperability issue, the SDB plays a central role as an entity to help conduct discussions among the agents involved, bringing together among its members and participants institutions with strong technical background and experience in the health area. This union is extremely important to enrich the debate and generate value for society through the evolution of topics related to digital health”, he concludes.
In addition to the Interoperability Working Group, the SDB maintains other working groups to address specific topics, including Electronic Health Documents and Dispensing; Indicators; Legal; Marketing; Clinical Protocols; Mental Health; Information Security and Data Protection; and Telenursing. All are composed exclusively of the entity's members.
Meet the coordinators elected for the Interoperability WG
Coordinator: Rafael Yoneta Monte, graduated in Administration from the University of São Paulo, has experience in management consultancies and startups related to health, with a main focus on technology and product development. He currently works as a data and application integration manager in the Digital Health operations of Grupo Fleury, enabling the interoperability of applications, services and products in the hub health.
Vice-coordinator: Paulo Roberto Salvi has a degree in Computer Science with specializations in Hospital Management, Cost Management and Controllership, an MBA in Strategic Management, and an MBI in Smart Cities (ongoing). Salvi has worked in the healthcare and technology sector for over 25 years, having worked for health insurance companies and hospitals as COO and CEO. In 2009, he took on the role of COO at TopMed, a company of which he is a partner and where he has served as CEO and CTO. He has extensive experience in telehealth and telemedicine, preventive medicine, hospital management, management of health insurance companies, and healthcare technologies.
