health information

is necessary, but not sufficient, for decision making about life and health. The purpose of a health information system (HIS) is to collect and store the public's essential health information in one digital form. It is required as a primary source of information on the individual and its environment and as an important element of the government's strategic policy planning. In order to fulfill this purpose a well configured HIS must have the following three characteristics to become effective. Accessibility - allows the people to access the data from HIS at any time they want by using appropriate hardware and software that is affordable, compatible with their computer and internet. Security - provides that the personal data will be safe during transfer to another party through encryption, and will only be available to authorized users. Availability- a good HIS should be available over all types of networks that the user may use, including mobile, cloud and even offline network. Ease of Use/Usability- it should provide easy access and make the system as intuitive as possible to the users, while providing advanced features that can help patients make better decisions about care. Technical Utility- refers to technical procedures that allow the development of new systems and maintenance. Finally the cost of purchasing a HIS should remain reasonable so that the costs can be effectively used by various sectors of society such as health, social protection, security and financial services. There are currently more than half a million users in Brazil who have registered in a national registry and accessed the digital health platform called "Covidiota". Some key aspects of Covidiota include a patient’s profile and profile, prescription, and insurance. They also have the ability to manage all medical record and make appointments with doctors on demand. Users are able to make orders to the different hospital offices located across Brazil, pay for and receive prescriptions online, and file claims and appeals at designated pharmacies. Most of these features should be made free to ensure adequate use as many people continue to stay home. However, other significant aspects that should support the functioning are privacy and personal data protection, multi-currency capabilities, a number of payment methods and a wide array of languages. Covidiota can even be used by doctors and providers in addition to hospitals, which is something we have already seen in countries like India. Covidiota has two main components: A portal and the application for physicians and family members to make payments on the platform. Patients can register on the site, pay fees and obtain prescription online, have them delivered to their doctor or family member, pay directly for prescriptions or make payments over several months. On the bottom left corner of the screen, there is the “user password” field where data is stored for each person using Covidiota. After registration on the website, users need to verify their email address and then enter the password of their choice. Once logged in, they can see the full list of doctors, their current availability and the ability to send a refill request or a claim. Every time a refill is ordered, a small amount of money will be sent to the physician. Additionally, a family member or friend can make direct payments without having to go to the clinic that is responsible for the prescription. Both systems are very similar and do the same jobs. What makes the difference is the amount that the doctor gets to charge for the prescription and the possibility that some family member or partner might want to get an appointment. In that case, the doctor gets all payment from the insurance company or employer and the family member or partner is charged only a flat fee. To put it simply, if you want an appointment for your child’s asthma or if you are going to give someone an appointment to undergo surgery for a heart problem, you can either contact the doctor or family member and ask them to get you an appointment. I think this would really ease the problems families face when choosing doctors and finding treatments. Since Covidiota was founded in 2016, we have already seen how important the right tools, especially technology, have been for the general wellbeing of individuals. When implementing such solutions, it gives us a glimpse of how far people will go to obtain the best care possible and improve their lives. We are looking forward to seeing what improvements come next year and what improvements can be achieved in the coming years.