Abstract

ALONSO LOPEZ, F.A.  and  CUSTODI I CANOSA, J.. Computing development of information integration levels between different provision  units from the Primary Health Care perspective. Medifam [online]. 2001, vol.11, n.10, pp.44-55. ISSN 1131-5768.

Medical records are already computerized in primary health care. Insofar as electronic medical records are increasingly available to more centers and staff, the exchange of clinical information between different centers becomes an even more urgent need, either between health centers, or between health centers and hospitals, peripheral outpatient departments or support units. The main goal is to ensure the continuity of health care and the communication between professionals, most of which are using different computing systems.  This paper describes four possible levels of information exchange and suggests technically easy and feasible solutions provided some minimum conditions are met: existence of electronic medical records, existence of a communications network (such as Intranet or Internet) and a common identifier: the individual identification code of the Health Card. Consequently, this card becomes a key and major strategic element of the National Health System (SNS), whose integrity should be safeguarded in the face of the future transfers of the Insalud to the Autonomous Communities and, if possible, progress should be made towards a health card for all the SNS, either through a unique card or through mechanisms for making compatible the ones that are currently in use.

Keywords : Information and comunication technology; Computerisation; Electronic medical records; Internet.

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