Number of health establishments with websites and social media profiles grows

The ICT Health 2015 Survey by Cetic.br also revealed that a quarter of establishments with Internet still use paper only for recording patient information

Public and private health establishments in Brazil have increased their online presence through websites and social media profiles. This was one of the findings of the ICT Health 2015 Survey, conducted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) through the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) at the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br). The annual publication of the survey, which presents expert articles and the main results of the study, was launched this Monday (28) during the XV Brazilian Congress of Health Informatics – CBIS 2016 in the city of Goiânia (Goiás).

The results reveal a 12 percentage point increase in online presence through websites: in 2014, 27% of health establishments had a website, compared to 39% in 2015. As for social networks, the increase was 10 points, reaching 33% of health establishments with profiles on these platforms. “The advancement of online presence of establishments indicates a growing demand for interaction channels with citizens through the Internet. However, there is still much room for expansion of online services, such as scheduling exams and consultations, especially among public establishments,” says Alexandre Barbosa, manager at Cetic.br.

Electronic health records

Another aspect highlighted by the ICT Health Survey concerns the electronic storage of patient information, which is among the most important challenges in the sector's computerization policies. Among the establishments with Internet access in 2015, only 16% recorded patient data exclusively electronically; 59% partially on paper and partially in electronic format, and 24% used paper exclusively.

The study also points to the fact that electronic records for administrative information were more widely available than those for clinical care data, which can more directly support patient care. Patient registration data was electronically available in most (78%) establishments that used the Internet. Vital signs of individuals were electronically available in 34% of health establishments that used the Internet; radiological exam reports in 27% of them; and images of these exams in 20%. “The spread of electronic health records paves the way for a series of improvements in the sector, including new strategies for prevention and health promotion, quality improvement of care, and service innovation,” evaluates Barbosa.

Telehealth

As in previous years, the third edition of the ICT Health Survey found that public health establishments are the ones providing the most telehealth and telemedicine services. Of the total establishments surveyed, 16% reported being part of some telehealth network, a proportion that reaches 27% for those in the public sector, and only 4% for private establishments.

Infrastructure and IT management

The survey reveals an advance in the proportion of public establishments with Internet access (74% in 2015), confirming the trend observed in 2013, when only 57% of these establishments used the Internet. However, the difference remains in relation to the proportion of Internet access in private establishments, which has been virtually universal since the beginning of the survey (99%).

“Although the basic infrastructure of information and communication technologies is widely spread in Brazilian health establishments, access inequalities persist depending on the region, administrative sphere, and type of establishment. These data should be taken into account by policymakers,” observes Barbosa.

The contracted connection speed in health establishments showed variations compared to 2014: there was a significant increase in the proportion of those contracting connections with speeds from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps, rising from 13% to 23% in 2015. The data reinforce the growth trend observed since 2013, when only 10% of establishments had this contracted connection speed.

Regarding IT management, only 25% of establishments have an area or sector responsible for this activity. Establishments with more than 50 inpatient beds (71%) and those located in capitals (38%) have an IT area in higher proportions than others. The study also shows that only 6% of connected health establishments in 2015 had a healthcare professional in their IT team.

Adoption among health professionals

According to the survey, health professionals recognize the importance of adopting ICT in the sector. For 93% of doctors and 95% of nurses, there was an improvement in the efficiency of work team processes due to the use and implementation of electronic systems; and for 90% of doctors and 89% of nurses, the use of ICT provided greater efficiency in attendances.

Despite the recognition, there are challenges for developing specific ICT knowledge. The survey reveals that 85% of doctors and 75% of nurses did not participate in any course, training, or education in the field of information and communication technology in health in the 12 months preceding the survey.

About the study

In its 3rd edition, the ICT Health interviewed 2,252 managers of health establishments across the national territory, besides 1,242 doctors and 2,197 nurses linked to these establishments. Data collection took place between November 2015 and June 2016.

To access the full survey and review the historical series, visit: https://cetic.br/pesquisa/saude/indicadores. Compare the evolution of the indicators through data visualization: https://data.cetic.br/cetic/explore?idPesquisa=TIC_SAUDE. And read the articles and analyses in the publications available for download at: https://cetic.br/pesquisa/saude/publicacoes.

About Cetic.br

The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information about the network's development in the Country. Cetic.br is a Regional Center for Studies under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br

The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a civil, private non-profit entity that implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee. NIC.br's permanent activities include coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding, and addressing security incidents in Brazil - CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network and operations technologies — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), implementing and operating Internet Exchange Points — IX.br (https://ix.br/), enabling Brazilian community participation in the global development of the Web and supporting public policy formulation — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br

The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating, and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the Country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of offered services. Based on the principles of multi-sectoralism and transparency, CGI.br represents a model of democratic Internet governance, internationally praised, where all sectors of society equally participate in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

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