Health info systems sector bullish on growth prospects in PHL

THE HEALTH management information systems (HMIS) market in the Philippines has the potential to expand if talent development, infrastructure, and ease of doing business are further enhanced, according to an industry player.

“The sector has this bold ambition to grow to P28 billion by 2028, assuming we have all the right ingredients to build it,” said Nora K. Terrado, country head of Carelon Global Solutions Philippines, Inc., a healthcare management services and solutions company. 

She said that healthcare will account for 10-30% of all offshorable services globally. “Hence, we are growing accordingly.”

The HMIS collects, stores, and evaluates health-related data. It provides analytical reports and visualizations that facilitate decision-making. 

According to Ms. Terrado, the most important ingredients for propelling the country’s HMIS market growth are talent development, infrastructure, and ease of doing business. 

“Policy shaping to align our regulations to that of the demand of the market is one thing we [also] really appreciate that our partners in government have been looking at,” she added.

Carelon, which rebranded from Legato Health Technologies in January, has offices in Iloilo, apart from the two it has in the capital region.

“We follow where the talent is,” Ms. Terrado said. Iloilo is conducive too because it only takes anyone 10-15 minutes to get anywhere, she added.

The company plans to build a core team of up to 1,500 individuals, to be trained in technology and data analytics, within the next 24 months. 

Ms. Terrado also underscored the complexity of global healthcare and that customers now prioritize whole health, referring to physical, behavioral, and social drivers that make up the overall wellbeing of a person.

“It’s important to actually improve primary care, because if you focus on primary care, you can address the issue of affordability,” Ms. Terrado said. 

“Healthcare continues to be exposed to the volatilities of economic dynamics.” — Patricia B. Mirasol