A House of Representatives panel on Wednesday approved the funding provisions of a measure establishing the electronic health or E-health system in the country using information and communications technology.

In an online meeting, the House committee on appropriations approved the substitute bill to House Bills 61, 171, 665, and 4899, otherwise referred to as the proposed “National E-health System Act.”

The bill seeks to institutionalize a system of providing wide access to quality health information and services using information and communications technology.

House Committee on Health chairperson and Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan said once the measure is enacted into law, the National E-health System would cover all existing healthcare providers and other entities developing and using e-health systems, services, applications and tools.

“It bears stressing that the investment on building access to health services is a crucial requirement for the realization and success of the Universal Health Care for all Filipinos. Hence, investing in E-health is imperative to ensure equitable access to health care services, most especially those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and particularly for the poor, disadvantaged, and vulnerable,” Tan said.

Tan also underscored the need and importance of quality access to real-time information for evidence-informed decision making.

Under the bill, a health sector enterprise architecture must be developed and implemented to provide guidance to align and ensure that data are easily made available and accessible, business processes are harmonized and integrated, and services and applications are usable, safe, efficient, and effective.

The design, development, and implementation of E-health services and applications shall focus on the automation and interoperability of the various mandatory E-health business processes and data services as laid out in the health sector enterprise architecture. (PNA)