Technology Generator

Ateneo de Manila University
Project Leader: Dr. Enrique Niño P. Leviste

The Problem

Recent legislative developments in the Philippines, such as the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act and the Philippine Identification System law, have significantly influenced the Philippine health care system, especially its Health Information System (HIS) component. The UHC Law mandates the funding and development of a National Health Information System (NHIS) by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). This includes the integration of city- and province-wide health systems, requiring a reorganization of local governments’ HIS.

Local Government Units (LGUs) are required to integrate their systems with DOH and PhilHealth to enhance the scope of health service delivery and financial coverage. But with the presence of various accredited HIS providers, interoperability and data exchange among health institutions has become a concern.

Efforts to mitigate disaster and health risks have long been in place. Several frameworks have been developed by other researchers over the past years to measure vulnerabilities to climate change. However, these frameworks were conceptualized based on geographical roots and natural disasters research and a variety of other research contexts such as ecology, poverty and development, sustainability science, and related others. The risks and vulnerability reduction framework of a locality has to be anchored specifically on disaster event/s onto which the communities are exposed to regularly, the geographical location of the communities, and regional cultural conditions for it to be effective.

The Solution

The Ateneo de Manila University, in cooperation with the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Cagayan de Oro City, Pangasinan Province, and Iligan City, and through funding support from the DOST – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, developed the Smarter and Integrated Local Health Information System (SMILHIS). This is an interoperability platform that operates under the management of an LGU and aligns seamlessly with the design of the Philippine Health Information Exchange (PHIE).

Driven by the implementation of the UHC Act and the decentralization of health services to local government units, LGU-managed models for Local Health Information Exchanges (LHIEs) have been initiated, exemplified by projects like SMILHIS Pangasinan and SMILHIS CDOC. These initiatives underscore the country’s commitment to leveraging technology and decentralization to enhance health information management and delivery at the local level.

Technology Development Status

The technology is currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4.

Current Needs

The technology owners are actively pursuing funding opportunities for the continuous development of the Smarter and Integrated Local Health Information System. Interested parties may send letters of intent to the contact details provided below.

Contact Information

Ateneo Intellectual Property Office
Room 213 2/F, PLDT-CTC Building
Katipunan Ave. Loyola Heights, 1108 Quezon City
09052610702
aipo@ateneo.edu