DIGITAL CLINICAL DATA: A Contribution of Instituto Traumatologico de Santiago de Chile to Hospital Management

Instituto Traumatológico developed an innovative project to gather clinical data in a digital format, thus generating the information necessary to make decisions. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide our patients with the best attention possible. The impact of incorporating health care informatics to a hospital's daily routine is profound, especially when those who are in charge of change have not learned about this topic or encouraged their students to incorporate new technologies to their work. The results of this project become even more significant when it is implemented in Latin American public hospitals, where the resources invested in technology are scarce. The success of this project could be considered a case of study for the region and the country. Although many efforts and resources have been invested in systematizing information, few cases have shown positive results. This project started with the systematization of the process of attention at the Emergency Department and the adaptation of the Emergency Information System. Once the implementation of this system was over, the project was applied to install the Polyclinic Information System, and Hospitalization Information Systems. The Electronic Health Record includes interfaces for specialties such as upper limbs, spine, hips and lower limbs, which makes it easier for specialists to handle the required information. The large amount of recollected data has been translated into statistic charts and indicators, which support the administration processes that take place in intermediate and superior areas of the Institute.