The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the Digital Transformation Handbook for Primary Health Care, a 98-page guide to support countries in digitizing health information systems for improved service delivery. Developed with the Human Reproduction Program and the Department of Digital Health and Innovation, it outlines requirements for building a person-centered point of service system (PCPOS), whether starting from paper or partial digital systems.
The handbook provides strategies for implementing digital tools to enhance patient tracking, streamline information flow, and improve decision-making. It emphasizes interoperability with standards like SMART Guidelines and HL7 FHIR and includes frameworks for integrating patient engagement platforms to personalize care. Guidance is also provided on training, deployment, and scaling of these systems.
The authors highlight that this handbook not only addresses digitizing records but also encourages a shift toward comprehensive digital transformation in health services.
In a related development, USAID recently published its digital health position paper, which focuses on building resilient digital health infrastructure, aligning investments with national strategies, and emphasizing principles like person-centered systems, data privacy, and cybersecurity.
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