Title: MiPrescription as the information infrastructure backbone in the Colombian healthcare system

Authors: Sandra Agudelo-Londoño; Polyxeni Vassilakopoulou; Margunn Aanestad

Addresses: Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cra. 7 No. 40 – 62 Bogotá DC, Colombia ' Department of Information Systems, University of Agder, N-4630 Kristiansand, Norway ' Department of Information Systems, University of Agder, N-4630 Kristiansand, Norway

Abstract: Implementing national public healthcare information infrastructures are often challenging, this is even more so in the global south. In this paper we offer an analysis of a successful development and introduction of a national healthcare information system. The MIPRES was developed by the Colombian Ministry of Health as a web application for the prescription of high-cost technologies (drugs and devices), but over time grew to become the backbone of a renewed digital healthcare information infrastructure. Through a qualitative empirical study, informed by information infrastructure theory, we document the emergence and evolution of MIPRES and analyse both the contextual conditions and strategic choices that led to its success.

Keywords: infrastructure; healthcare; digital healthcare systems; electronic prescribing; health informatics; health information technology; information systems; health systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2022.122085

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2022 Vol.12 No.2, pp.126 - 138

Accepted: 12 Apr 2021
Published online: 08 Apr 2022 *

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