Examining the State of Digitalization in Mexico’s Health Sector

Digitalization has created a cultural transformation that is disrupting all areas of life, and health is no exception. No matter how immersed we are in technology, it is common for us to browse the web to find information about our symptoms or to have applications on our mobile phones to record our physical activity or our vital signs. Some of us even have an online directory of specialists with whom we create an appointment via WhatsApp or interact virtually for a check-up, without forgetting that we fill prescriptions in one click.

These progressive changes are what we call trends, where as a consequence of digitalization the patient becomes an active participant.

According to Deloitte projections, by 2040, medical care as we currently know it will undergo great changes. That is to say, diseases will continue, but patients will be more involved in the processes due to scientific advances, data, and technology, which will require assuming new roles to transform and generate adequate health ecosystems.

In addition to this, the pandemic changed the way we relate to health services. The study “Médic@ Digital en México,” by the Fundación Mexicana para la Salud (Funsalud), concluded that 45% of health professionals carry out virtual, remote, or digital consultations, through the screen or teleconsultations, between one and five times a week. Meanwhile, 94% of doctors use WhatsApp for professional purposes, such as being in contact with patients and pharmaceutical companies.

Another trend or critical point is that, although digital health can speed up medical care in various aspects, it is a fact that currently technology is not available to everyone. Hence, the issue of equity in health arises, which leads us to the urgent need for social, political, and legislative change, so that access to global advances in health can be resolved.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a “Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025,” which contemplates the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual assistance, remote supervision, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, smart devices, tools to exchange or store information, among other elements that will allow continuity for a patient to improve how a diagnosis is provided, making better therapeutic decisions, conducting clinical trials, and even promoting self-care.

Let's use numbers to discuss the panorama that we will face if we do not address the urgency of promoting the development of digitalization of health in Mexico. A recent study highlights that standardizing patient information would enable substantial benefits in patient safety and allow for a total reduction in healthcare costs of between US$40 billion and US$100 billion worldwide, if these were global and adopted by all stakeholders, including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, pharmacies, and suppliers.

Regarding the national panorama, a transcendental issue for this evolution is that in February 2023, the Health Commission of the Chamber of Deputies approved various provisions of the General Health Law to establish the use of the Electronic Medical Prescription (EMR). Although the EMR and the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) are important advances in the digitalization of health, there are still challenges and opportunities in matters of regulation, connectivity, interoperability, traceability, standardization, and cybersecurity.

As noted by the WHO in its resolution on Digital Health, one of the main challenges facing healthcare digitalization in Mexico is the absence of an ecosystem that promotes the interoperability of health systems through standardized, approved, and complete information, which would facilitate optimal control and security in the supply and disposal of medicines, avoiding problems such as shortages, theft, counterfeiting, and, consequently, delays in access to therapies and in the care that patients require.

With a barcode or a two-dimensional code as the access key, manufacturers, distributors, physical, or virtual stores can now access reliable electronic catalogs that have the capacity to store standardized quality data for each medicine, medical device, and health product supply available on the market, which makes it possible to have efficient control of the supply chain.

It is a reality that Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and IBM are exploring innovation and expansion formats in this area, with a long-term vision, where thanks to the development of AI, more precise diagnoses, disease prediction, or complex monitoring of a patient's health status will be achieved.

In the coming years, the transformation of healthcare will continue its accelerated evolution driven by science, data, and technology to achieve greater access and coverage of efficient, effective, and quality health services. And in this evolution, it is imperative that Mexico lays the foundations to be a strategic player in the digitalization of health.