New generation health information system (upTIS)
The health information system that turned 12 in 2021 is one of the flagships of the Estonian digital state. During these years, digital solutions have become a part of everyday life in the health care sector. Spreading information via e-channels, be it e-consultation, digital prescription, remote services or other solutions, have changed the way health care services are consumed. Taking into account the speed of digital development, the current system has started to limit the development of e-health in Estonia.
UpTIS - the next development leap for the health information system
The goal is to ensure the development leap for the health information system in order to guarantee sustainable support of the health care sector. For this, the health information system will be taken to a new qualitative level: the new data exchange platform that supports more flexible data exchange, modern solutions and has an efficient development and management model, will be developed and implemented.
How it works
The emphasis in creating the new generation health information system is on cooperation. Together with health care specialists, we wish to renew the technical side of the health information system and the general implementation logic of e-health and the principles of document management so that it would support the work processes as much as possible. Secondly, the role-based access to the system will be analysed. The goal is to make the entering of data to the system and their use as convenient, safe and effective as possible, so that the digital solutions would enable the health team to dedicate more time to treatment and human contact. This ensures personal services that are directed to the people.
Goals and plans
- Review the legislative issues connected to the health information system in order to support the everyday needs of health care workers.
- Follow the once-only principle in requesting data, in order to minimize the collection of duplicate information and non-health data.
- Analyse ways to make the legislation more flexible so that new technological solutions could be introduced more quickly.
- To create new solutions so that both the customers and the health care professionals could get an easy, fast and understandable overview of the health history that supports decision-making.
- When creating the new platform, attention should be paid to the basic rules of documentation and the management of data in the health information system - for example, it is planned to create a system for the management of classifications and terminology.
- To exchange the current technological platform of the health information system to new data exchange principles that simplify the development of software for the health care sector and medical registers.
- To create clear, understandable and comprehensive implementation guidelines for standards in regard to new and existing services.
- Instead of developing large data exchange standards, focus on creating smaller data groups.
With the new generation health information system, we also wish to increase cooperation between health registers, scientists and other stakeholders. In order to get an overview of the standards, classifications and lists used in the health information system, a modern information centre will be created instead of the current Publishing Centre, which is more user-friendly and more extensive. A more comprehensive and thorough publication of the health information system data set is planned for the information centre.
Why is it needed
The health information system is still largely based on the processes of paper-based management, which makes it difficult and often practically impossible to offer modern and convenient solutions that Estonian people and treatment teams expect without unreasonable costs. It is necessary to make a development leap, i.e., to look at the health system more broadly, based on modern work processes, and thereby also to modernise the entire digital infrastructure of e-health.
Latest developments
The project is currently in the stage of substantive planning and technical renewal of the health information system.
Other contributors
Ministry of Social Affairs
Estonian Health Insurance Fund
The stakeholders of the health system from the clinical, policy and technical perspectives contribute to the successful implementation of the project.