At 9:30 a.m. on a bustling Friday morning at the Imbuí Basic Health Unit in Salvador, family physician Suzane Araújo is with Clayton Arapiraca, a 62-year-old retiree in for a routine post-surgery check-up. Instead of sifting through physical files, Dr. Araújo simply logs into the Vida+ system on her computer. This digital tool, a key component of the municipality's public health digital overhaul, allows her to review Clayton's medical history, medications, vaccinations, and more, and to update his records on the spot.
"Back when I worked in rural areas, I dealt with countless aged, yellowing paper files. Going digital has simplified everything," Dr. Araújo remarks. Digital storage also offers the added benefit of safeguarding information, particularly in disaster scenarios.
The Vida+ system's development and deployment stand out as significant achievements of the Salvador Social Project, an initiative led by the mayor's office of Bahia's capital with the World Bank's support. Over five years, the project has spurred the local government's long-held aspirations in healthcare, education, and social welfare.
Healthcare professionals across 175 locations, including basic health units, dental specialty centers (CEO), specialized care services (SAES), and polyclinics now utilize the Vida+ system—surpassing the original target of 126 sites. The next step is to integrate the system into Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) and Emergency Care Units (UPAs).
"Once Vida+ is up and running in the CAPS and UPAs, we'll be able to track a patient's entire therapeutic journey within our network," explains Alcione Anunciação, strategic project unit coordinator for Salvador's Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS).
The platform also plays a crucial role in prenatal care linked to the mayor's office's Madre Salvador program. It ensures that vulnerable women have access to essential services including transportation cards for expectant mothers and birth support.
Setting up such a comprehensive service demanded meticulous coordination among SMS's data and IT professionals along with significant infrastructure investments. Not all health units were initially equipped for high-speed internet which is essential for Vida+'s data input and transmission. The project also required procuring printers and other hardware with substantial support from Salvador Social project.
Privacy is paramount when handling sensitive health information. "We take it very seriously," states Rosa Fernandes, chief advisor to SMS’s Planning Advisory Information Mapping for Decision-Making.
As thousands of patients receive care across various health centers a diverse team of professionals operates within the newly established Situation Room at Municipal Health Secretariat. Launched in December 2022 this hybrid physical and digital workspace gathers sanitarians epidemiologists statisticians system analysts and administrative personnel to analyze healthcare data aiding policymakers in swift decision-making using business intelligence dashboards that visualize data through charts and maps.
Rosa reflects on realizing this long-held vision made possible by Salvador Social project's phases 1 and 2: "The project funded necessary equipment and software to set up the room."
She recalls pivotal role of COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center (COE) pilot project which harnessed data from Vida+ as precursor to Situation Room.
Previously healthcare data were scattered across uncoordinated spreadsheets. "We used to spend 80% of our time generating information and only 20% on decision-making. Now that ratio has flipped," says Jessidenes Leal known as Jessi SMS’s strategic projects manager. Beyond technology skilled professionals standardizing data collection analysis was crucial achieved by collaborating with health surveillance primary care regulatory departments.
SMS team utilizing business intelligence tools uncovered that 85-95% of Salvador’s complex medical cases originated from surrounding rural areas leading municipality renegotiate service costs payments with other Bahian municipalities.
Looking Ahead: Ambitions Challenges
With Situation Room full swing SMS team sets sights integrating artificial intelligence enhance predictive capabilities."It's an ambitious goal but it's direction world heading we aim set standard," Rosa declares.
To achieve this training health managers effectively utilize data planning action essential A data science course for SMS’s strategic leadership funded by Salvador Social project marked first step teaching professionals collaboratively develop situation room indicators through hands-on case studies.
Another focus designing integrated care strategies mental health geriatric services considering impacts COVID-19 pandemic aging population
Regardless obstacles Salvador’s healthcare professionals are now equipped state-of-the-art technology transformation influence both managerial decisions everyday interactions between doctors patients like Dr Araújo Clayton.