ICT health 2013: infrastructure and adoption by healthcare providers in Brazil

The potential offered by intensive and strategic adoption of information and communication technologies for obtaining advances in the health sector is worldwide recognized. In order to monitor the implementation of ICT in health policies in Brazil and to establish internationally comparable indicators, a nationwide survey was conducted to identify the current implementation of information and communication technologies in Healthcare facilities and its adoption by providers. Data collection was carried out from February to August 2013 using two structured questionnaires. The results obtained showed that the access to internet is nearly universal in the country but clinical information systems are still in its infancy when it comes to more complex functionalities and linked to clinical decision support. Healthcare professionals indicated that the main barrier to adopt is the lack of availability related to the patient information.