Some IT agendas read like an all-you-can-eat buffet: cloud, cybersecurity,
interoperability, portals, e-prescriptions, “ambient AI,” analytics… If you run a
private hospital in LATAM and need results in 6–12 months, where do you start?
Public evidence points to a sensible path: lay the foundations first
(infrastructure and security), build the “bridge” (interoperability), and—on
top of that—deploy quick-return use cases such as e-prescriptions and
record modernization (online pre-admission/consents, patient portal, AI-assisted
documentation).
1) Foundations: infrastructure and cybersecurity (what holds everything up)
Before apps, shore up the floor: reliable networks, strong access control (MFA),
encryption, tested backups, and a practiced continuity plan. practiced In the region, PAHO/WHO and the IDB’s “Pan-American Digital Health Highway” emphasize
governance, infrastructure, services, and workforce—a clear signal that
foundations come first. (paho.org)
Free, actionable help: CISA’s #StopRansomware Guide (segmentation, immutable backups, restore drills, response), and HHS 405(d) HICP materials tailored to healthcare. (cisa.gov)
What to prioritize this quarter
- MFA across email/VPN/EHR and tested offline/immutable backups
- A contingency runbook rehearsed twice a year
- Patch policy and endpoint monitoring (cisa.gov)
2) El puente: interoperabilidad práctica (HL7/FHIR) y “carreteras” nacionales
To move data without friction, the industry is standardizing around FHIR APIs. In
the U.S., the TEFCA framework has a staged FHIR Roadmap; the American
Hospital Association has also pushed to standardize attachments and APIs with
payers to eliminate inefficiencies. Lesson for private providers in LATAM: demand
FHIR/HL7 plus exchange KPIs (latency, completeness, errors) right in your RFPs.
(ASTP TEFCA RCE)
3) High-impact use case: e-prescriptions (safety with less friction)
What it is and why now. E-prescribing sends a complete, legible order to the
pharmacy—fewer errors, faster dispensing. In 2024, CMS/ONC updated Part D e-
prescribing standards, with a required transition to NCPDP SCRIPT 2023011 in
2028, a clear directional signal for the ecosystem. (cms.gov)
Seguridad del medicamento. La evidencia de AHRQ y revisiones sistemáticas muestra que CPOE con soporte clínico (CDSS) reduce errores de medicación versus el papel; la certeza es “moderada” para errores y más baja para eventos adversos (por diseño de los estudios), pero suficiente para justificar la inversión cuando se acompaña de buen diseño de alertas. (CNIB)
Qué medir:
- % of prescriptions sent electronically
- Prescribing errors per 1,000 orders
- Door-to-dispense time and pharmacy correction requests (cms.gov)
4) Modernizing the “front desk”: pre-admission, portal, and AI-assisted
documentation
Patient portal & no-shows. In 2024, U.S. data linked patient-portal use with 21
million fewer missed appointments. Patients with an active portal account were
21.5% less likely to no-show. For private hospitals, that means fuller schedules
and faster collections, especially when integrated with digital payments.
(media.epic.com)
Ambient AI documentation. Ambient AI scribes that draft notes from the
encounter— with consent—have shown reduced documentation time and less
after-hours work in recent studies, easing burden and improving face-to-face
care. (jamanetwork.com)
What to implement now
- Online pre-admission and consents connected to the EHR
- Reminders and payments via the portal (benefits scheduling and RCM)
- AI-assisted notes with clinician review and traceability (media.epic.com)
Conclusion
Investing in digital health isn’t about buying “modules.” It’s about sequencing:
secure the house, open the roads, then deploy e-prescriptions and a modern intake/record that return visible value in weeks. Once infrastructure and security
are in place, every extra click saved in clinic and every avoided no-show turns into
quality, revenue, and lower risk.
Want to see this in your hospital?
Book a HarmoniMD + CLARA demo (HarmoniMD’s AI-powered medical
assistant), or let’s discuss your project and design a route with clear clinical,
operational, and financial goals.
