Information Technology as

a Solution for Managing

NCDs in Developing
Countries
Anggit Wirasto, M.Eng.
Department of Information Technology
Harapan Bangsa University
Key Facts
 Global Deaths
45
41
40

35

30

25

20
16
15

10

0
NCDs Other Causes
Each year, 15 million people die from a
NCD are aged between 30 and 69

Over 85% of these “premature” deaths

occur in low-and middle-income
countries
 Most NCDs deaths
20
17.9
18

16

14

Four Major 12

10 9
NCDs 8

6
3.9
4

2 1.6

0
Cardiovascular Diseases Cancers Respiratory Diseases Diabetes
Detection Screening
Key
components of
the response
Palliative
Treatment
care
 COST LACK OF LACK OF
MONITORING HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS

Barriers

INSUFFICIENT POOR INCONSISTENT

HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTHCARE-
TRAINING SEEKING BEHAVIOR
To combat NCDs, we need
to transform the way
healthcare is provided and
expand access to all
–Health systems must move toward
universal health coverage and shift:
– From facility-based care to a community-
based care;
– From episodic, curative care to long-term,
contiuous care;
– From reactive care to proactive and
preventive care.
Information Technology as a Solution

Digital Health
To maximize the impact of
digital health on NCDs in order
to accelerate the achievement
of UHC, solutions have to be
financially sustainable
Building Blocks
for Sustainable
Digital Health
 For policymakers, a
vital first step is to
Strategy, set a digital health
Leadership strategy that lays
out a compelling
and vision and provides
Governance clear direction to all
stakeholders in the
health system
 Strong leadership,
intersectoral
Strategy, collaboration and
Leadership clear governance
are then essential
and for effective
Governance implementation of
a national digital
health strategy
Sustained senior government leadership
and committed financing

Effective governance mechanisms

National ICT framework that facilitates

alignment between health and ICT sectors
 Regulation is needed to protect
patient safety and privacy, while
Regulation allowing innovation to continue to
and Policies unfold. This fosters trust in digital
health solutions and facilitates their
adoption
 Data management
Regulation and regulation protects
the privacy and
Policies security of patients’
health data
 Device regulation
ensures that only
Regulation and safe, cost-effective,
Policies high-quality devices
are approved for
use
 Regulation of the
delivery of care
Regulation and ensures that medical
practices
Policies complemented by
digital technology are
safe and high-quality
 Communication
infrastructure and
Communication common platforms
Infrastructure connect people and
solutions, and enable the
and Common sharing and use of
Platforms information to manage
NCDs more effectively and
efficiently
 Digital communication
infrastructure provides the
Communication connectivity that makes
Infrastructure the application of digital
technology to healthcare
and Common possible. Policymakers
Platforms should prioritize making
that connectivity available
and affordable to all
 Policymakers can also
work with stakeholders
Communication to create cost-efficient
Infrastructure digital health
and Common platforms as common
Platforms assets with core
functionalities that can
be shared
Interoperability Framework

Interoperability allows different digital health

solutions and data sources such as government
programs, hospitals, community health workers
and patients themselves to connect with each
other. It is essential to manage NCDs in a
coordinated way across all levels of care and all
stages of the patient journey
 Interoperability allows
different ICT systems,
Interoperability software applications
Framework and devices to
communicate and
exchange data
 Policymakers should
consider
Interoperability interoperability as a
Framework cornerstone of their
digital health strategy
 Partnering can increase the scale and
impact of digital health solutions by
combining expertise, ideas, assets and
other resources of different
Partnership stakeholders
 Taking promising digital health
solutions from proof-of-concept to
scale requires committed and
Financing sustained financing
Models
 – Common health
platforms require long-
term commitment
– Diverse financing options
Financing can be used to fund
solutions that plug into
Models the common digital
health platform
– Low development and
operating costs lead to
less need of funding
 – Information Technology solutions in it’s form as
digital health promise to change the way healthcare
is provided, to both acute and chronic patients;
Conclusion – Realizing the promise of digital health involves
establishing the six building blocks;
– Policymakers do not have to deliver alone, they can
learn from and with others on the same journey.