Information and Communication Technologies in the Spanish National Healthcare System – Current Status

Abstract

The implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health in Spain is described. In the framework of the Healthcare Online program put into operation by the Spanish government, a series of initiatives have been undertaken at the regional level in Spain, in order to address the demand from both citizens and healthcare professionals for better, more efficient, and cost-effective care. This chapter focuses on the results of a study at the national level on the current status of basic healthcare services based on ICT, such as the individual health card, interoperable electronic healthcare records, e-prescription, etc. During recent years, strategic projects carried out by the Spanish government, in collaboration with the Regional Departments of Health, have demonstrated significant progress towards the adaptation of the National Healthcare System to current information technologies, by optimizing the utilization of available resources, controlling healthcare expenditures, and consequently offering more efficient and sustainable healthcare services and tools for professionals and citizens for easy access to better and more structured information for their healthcare-related decisions.