Expert flags interoperability gap in PHL’s healthcare

An expert said on Tuesday that the lack of interoperability within the health information systems in the Philippines is causing a hindrance in the country’s universal healthcare (UHC) access.

“They have to talk to each other so that the data flows with the patient, that’s what we want,” Veincent Christian F. Pepito, assistant professor and researcher at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) Center for Research and Innovation, said in a forum.

“Our health information system must be able to talk to each other,” he added.

In his presentation at the forum, a public-sector respondent cited concerns about the gaps within the government’s health-sector systems.

“You have E-konsulta for consultations and primary care, and you have HOMIS (Hospital Operation Management and Information System) for the hospital,” the respondent wrote. “Because these are not interoperable, we can’t access the primary care records of patients when they are referred to us.”

According to Mr. Pepito, the interoperability of health information systems across hospitals is an “ideal” factor in the UHC framework.

“When you go to PGH (Philippine General Hospital) or some other tertiary hospitals, you still have to take the records again, you still have to take the entire history of patients again,” he said. “In short, the data is not traveling with the patient.”

However, he noted that cybersecurity and data privacy are crucial in implementing a synchronized health information system across the country.

“Many are still hesitant because they might mess up with the data privacy,” he said in Filipino. “Data privacy advocates and the DICT can step in to clarify these issues.”

“Implementation of encryptions, or having multiple backup servers so that one half will not derail the implementation or endanger the security of the data,” he added.

The Universal Healthcare Act, or Republic Act No. 11223, enacted in 2019, mandates that all Filipino citizens be automatically enrolled in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) National Health Insurance Program.

In the 2026 national budget, P448.125 billion was allocated to the health sector to support the promotion of UHC, including P1 billion budget for the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) Program in local government hospitals. — Almira Louise S. Martinez