Towards Electronic Medical Record Implementation, the MoH Indonesia Held a Technical Working Group on Health Information System

The Ministry of Health (MoH) Indonesia has issued a regulation concerning the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in all healthcare facilities as stipulated in the Health Minister's Regulation No. 24 of 2022, replacing the previous regulation, namely Health Minister's Regulation No. 269 of 2008 concerning Medical Records.

The regulation requires all healthcare facilities in Indonesia to implement EMR and be integrated with the SATUSEHAT (Indonesia Health Services/IHS) platform no later than December 31, 2023. This aims to improve health data interoperability as part of the health transformation agenda. So the development and strengthening of the health information system is needed to achieve those targets.

Health information system is defined as a system that aims to manage health data and information at all levels of government in a systematic and integrated manner to support health management in order to improve health services. It includes Hospital Management Information System (SIMRS), Community Health Center Management Information System (SIMPUS), private clinics, and other healthcare facilities.

“Based on a survey from PERSI, 80 percent of healthcare facilities have implemented the hospital management information system. But only 15 percent of them have implemented EMR,” explained the Head of the Data and Information Compartment - Indonesian Hospital Association (PERSI), Anis Fuad.

According to Anis, reaching out to the healthcare facilities that have not implemented EMR requires well-designed planning of the health information system, from preparation of resources, infrastructure, human resources, to financing.

Encourage HIS Strengthening, Pusdatin-DTO Held Technical Working Group

The MoH Indonesia, through the Center for Data and Information Technology-Digital Transformation Office (Pusdatin-DTO) initiated the "Initial Meeting: Technical Working Group on Health Information System" on September 21, 2022 in Jakarta, to encourage the development and strengthening of health information system towards the implementation of EMR in all healthcare facilities.

This meeting was held as an initial step to strengthen the health information system, by forming a group and sub-groups to develop the program. They will discuss specific topics such as terminology standard, tuberculosis information systems, maternal and child health, heart failure, COVID-19, data analysis and utilization, and others. Supported by The Country Health Information System and Data Use project (CHISU) and involving the participation of stakeholders including the community, government agencies, academicians, professional organizations, as well as the healthcare industry.

“Indonesia has a stakeholder community that actively coordinates in the digital health and health information system field. This activity aims to improve communication and coordination, so in the future, they can get the right decisions and go hand in hand between communities, especially in the health digitalization, such as health information systems," said Chief of Party USAID - CHISU Indonesia, Leah McManus.

According to Yudianto, Head of the Information Security Management Working Team from Center of Data and Information Technology MoH, stakeholders have a role in providing feedback and recommendations for the MoH in carrying out programs related to the utilization of technology in the health information system.

Head of Tribe Secondary Care (Referral) from Digital Transformation Office (DTO) MoH, Agus Mutamakin, explained, "Health information system has a role in collecting data and information that are expected to be used as a basis for policy making, so it will find valid data quickly."

The meeting also explained that the development of health information system aims to reduce data redundancy, facilitate data access, provide quality data, and protect data security. Also to increase the efficiency and transparency of the work process in healthcare facilities.

Further, this meeting is expected to encourage the development and strengthening of health information system related to the implementation of EMR to provide accurate, near real time, and complete information as a basis for policy making, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health programs at all levels in the healthcare facilities.