The Philippine Health IT
The Philippines currently has 400 IT parks and buildings that can support healthcare information management (HIMS) services. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the HIMS sector contributes 10.3% to the Philippine economy. Industry experts predict that it will continue to grow at around 7.3% - 10% this year. However, the country lags behind in digital adaptation compared to its regional neighbors as internet connectivity and the lack of proper legislation hinder industry growth. In 2022, Speedtest Global Index lists the Philippines with a mobile Internet speed of 18.79 Mbps (global average is 29.91 Mbps) and a fixed broadband speed of 49.10 Mbps (global average is 60.76 Mbps). The Philippines has 22,405 cellular towers compared to other ASEAN countries like Vietnam with 90,000 and Thailand with 60,000.
In 2019, the Philippines implemented Republic Act. No. 11223, also known as the Universal Healthcare Act, instituted universal healthcare for all Filipinos. It also recognizes the role of evidence-based decisions in developing and implementing better programs. Currently, there is no legislation to support eHealth in the Philippines. House Bill No. 7422, also referred to as the Philippine E-Health and Services Act, aims to promote the delivery of medical services through information and communication technologies (ICT) and this legislation is still pending. There are only two joint Memorandum Circulars released in 2020 and 2021 with guidelines on monitoring and evaluation of the use of telemedicine in Covid-19 response.
The Philippine Department of Health is working with Microsoft Philippines to create the National Health Facility Registry and the COVID-19 Bakuna Center Registry. Health IT analytics enabled the agency to address issues, focus its response, and increase its productivity to provide better healthcare services to Filipinos efficiently. Private hospitals are also keen on acquiring health IT services to standardize clinical practices and provide better patient care management.
U.S. health IT service providers planning to enter the Philippine market can work directly with private hospitals. Another option is to work with local health IT service distributors or resellers. Opportunities exist for U.S. health IT service providers in:
- Data science and analytics
- Clinical decision support
- AI and machine learning
- Robotics process automation
- Mobile IT
- Electronic health records (EHR) and electronic medical records (EMR)
Visit the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP) website.
Trade Show
Medical Philippines Expo 2022
August 24-26, 2022 (in-person)
Location: SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Phillippines
The U.S. Commercial Service can assist you in identifying partners in the Philippine ICT and healthcare sector. Please contact Commercial Specialist for ICT John Giray at john.giray@trade.gov or Commercial Specialist for healthcare Katrina Domingo at katrina.domingo@trade.gov.