Catalunya

Owned by Federica Andreoni
Last updated: Nov 04, 2024
5 min read

History

The La Meva Salut project was initiated in 2009 and made available to the entire Catalan population in 2012. However, initial patient access to the platform was low, primarily due to the requirement of a digital certificate, which few people possessed. Various alternatives were explored to simplify access while meeting legal and security requirements.

The most viable solution was a robust username and password system, coupled with a face-to-face identity verification process at primary care centres. After overcoming these challenges, a pilot test was conducted in 2014, introducing the username and password system in 33 of the 400 basic health areas (ABS). The success of this pilot led to a full rollout of the new registration and authentication process across all primary care areas in Catalonia in May 2015, resulting in a significant increase in patient access to the portal (Aanestad et al., 2017).

As of August 2024, La Meva Salut is a personal digital health platform that allows citizens of Catalonia to interact remotely with the Catalan Health System. The platform enables users to view clinical reports, diagnoses, and test results from their medical history, access their current medication plan for use in pharmacies, book primary care appointments, and use various remote services such as eConsulta for health consultations and document exchanges with healthcare professionals. Additionally, patients can view and download medical certificates for work leave and discharge (Generalitat de Catalunya, n.d.).

Features

Through La Meva Salut, patients can access their shared medical history, which covers care received within Catalonia’s health system. The services and information available to patients include:

  • Details of their primary care team, including the assigned doctor and nurse, with the option to change doctor.

  • Diagnostics and clinical reports, covering emergency care, admissions, ambulatory care, test results, and medical notices for work leave and return to work.

  • A record of administered vaccines and immunisations.

  • The patient’s current medication plan.

  • A personal agenda showing scheduled tests and visits to primary care centres and hospitals (where this service is integrated).

  • Information on the waiting list for any pending surgeries.

  • Access to the will document (if the patient has registered one).

  • The ability to express the intent to become an organ and tissue donor.

  • Use of eConsulta to communicate with healthcare professionals for non-urgent matters that do not require face-to-face contact.

  • The ability to schedule appointments, including for international vaccinations.

  • The option to securely download clinical information in a coded format using the Health data to share feature.

According to the Catalan Health Service, services vary depending on the patient’s healthcare provider (e.g., hospitals or primary care centres), which are determined by their place of residence. The functionalities mentioned are continually expanding, as the project is still under development, meaning not all patients will have access to the same health data. The data integration process is gradual, relying on healthcare centres within the Comprehensive Health System for Public Use of Catalonia (SISCAT) to continue contributing information (Generalitat de Catalunya, n.d.).

Challenges and areas for improvement

Despite the many benefits of La Meva Salut, there are still some areas where the platform faces challenges and limitations:

  • Limited Data Input: Patients are unable to add personal medical data directly into the system.

  • Exclusively Public Healthcare Data: La Meva Salut exclusively relies on data provided by Public Healthcare providers.

Published outcomes - statistics

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any statistics about the use of La meva salut in Catalunya. If you have access to this information or can put us in touch with someone who has, please contact us at book@phr4gov.org

Screenshots

 

The Home Page provides patients with links to essential areas of the platform. These links include access to test results, vaccination records, COVID certificates, and medication information. Patients can also schedule and attend online consultations, view an appointment calendar, and manage their will and organ donation preferences. Additionally, they can access diagnostic information, explore other services, and view a digital version of their health card.

 

The Information and Results page enables patients to review their clinical test results and other diagnostic evidence, such as imaging findings. For each entry, patients can see the type of result, the date it was recorded, and have the option to open a PDF to read the full details.

Bibliography

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