Bridging the digital divide towards health for all
OPEN
We strive to make all our community’s proceeds open and publicly accessible.
PATIENT-CENTERED
We will keep our eyes focused on the needs of our patients.
RELEVANT
We aim to address the needs of the majority of the Filipinos especially the undeserved.
About Us
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Information and communication technologies are essential enablers of universal health coverage.
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The Philippine Society for Digital Health (PSDH) is a multidisciplinary professional organization that brings together health professionals, technologists, policymakers, researchers, and industry practitioners.
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PSDH promotes the collaborative design, governance, and use of digital health systems that are effective, safe, ethical, and interoperable.
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Through this collective approach, PSDH works to ensure that digital technologies meaningfully support the health needs of every Filipino.
News and Events
Overview of the Health Sector Enterprise Architecture
28 April 2022 | The Health Enterprise Architecture (HEA) in the Philippines has been operational since 2005. HEA is an important enabler for the interdisciplinary collaboration of various stakeholders within the health sector. With the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC) in the Philippines in 2019, the Department of Health reviewed the HEA to ensure that all components and processes are in place and adhere to health standards. Ms. Cherrie Esteban from the DOH Knowledge Management and Information Technology Services (KMITS) discussed the overview of HEA and how it will improve the development of UHC. Mr Francis Uy was the moderator.
You may access the meeting recording here:
Terminology Services Connectathon Advances National Digital Health Agenda
Makati City, Philippines — October 16-17, 2024
Public and private sector stakeholders convened for the Terminology Services Connectathon held at Ascott Makati, Glorietta 4, to strengthen the foundations of interoperable, secure, and standards-based digital health systems in the Philippines. The event brought together organizations actively working in digital health to align efforts in support of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Connectathon highlighted the strategic role of terminology services in enabling safe data exchange across health systems. Discussions emphasized governance, architecture, and implementation approaches consistent with the National Digital Health Strategy and broader health sector reforms.
The event was co-organized by Alvin Marcelo, President of the Philippine Society for Digital Health (PSDH) and Convener of the Standards and Interoperability Lab (SILab). The initiative was led by UP Manila SILab, with support from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Embassy of Australia.
Key messages during the Connectathon underscored:
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The reactivation of national digital health governance mechanisms.
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Alignment with COBIT-based governance across decision-making, planning, building, delivery, and monitoring.
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Focus on priority programs including immunization, nutrition, maternal care, tuberculosis and HIV, hypertension and diabetes management, road safety, cancer, and core digital health infrastructure.
Participants were encouraged to align organizational plans, offer technical and service capabilities, and collaborate in implementing interoperable solutions that directly support primary care and UHC outcomes.
Senior leaders from government and partner institutions attended, including representatives from PhilHealth and the Department of Health, reinforcing strong public–private collaboration in advancing the country’s digital health transformation.
Grahame Grieve, Father of FHIR, Conducts Digital Health Interoperability Masterclass in the Philippines
Boracay Island, Aklan | 18–20 June 2025
The Philippines hosted a landmark digital health capacity-building event as Grahame Grieve, widely recognized as the father of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), visited the country from 18 to 20 June 2025. The visit culminated in a high-level masterclass on health data interoperability held in Boracay Island for the Provincial Government of Aklan.
Key highlights of the visit included:
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Executive-level Masterclass
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Mr. Grieve led an intensive training on FHIR principles, governance, and real-world implementation.
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Sessions focused on building safe, interoperable, and standards-based digital health systems for provincial and local government use.
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Strong Local Government Leadership
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The activity was graced by Jose Enrique Miraflores, underscoring Aklan’s commitment to digital transformation in health.
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Provincial Health Officer Leslie Ann Luces mobilized the Provincial Health Office information technology team to fully participate in the training.
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International Technical Support
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Mr. Grieve was accompanied by Michael Lawley and Umer Nisar from CSIRO, providing additional expertise on standards implementation and applied health informatics.
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Local Professional Organization Involvement
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The activity was co-organized by Alvin Marcelo, President of the Philippine Society for Digital Health and Convener of the Standards and Interoperability Lab.
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The collaboration reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen national and subnational capacity for interoperable digital health systems aligned with global standards.
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Significance of the Visit
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Reinforced the Philippines’ alignment with international health data standards.
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Built practical capacity at the provincial level for interoperable health information systems.
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Demonstrated effective collaboration between local government, professional societies, and international technical partners.
This visit marks an important milestone in advancing standards-based digital health in the Philippines, with Aklan positioned as a leading example of provincial-level adoption and readiness.
Health informatics experts share emerging global innovations in their field
Last August 19, The Philippine Society for Digital Health, together with the Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN), held a webinar on the Emerging Trends in Global Health Informatics.
The online discussions were led by resource persons based in the Philippines, Canada, and Australia. A wide range of participants also joined last Saturday, which include clinicians, professors, and students.
Lessons from the speakers
The first presenter, Dr. Paolo Miguel Borja, shared his experience attending the E-Health Conference & Trade Show in Toronto earlier this year.
Dr. Borja finished his studies in the Philippines and served lead roles at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Manila. Now, he is taking his postgraduate studies on Health Informatics (HI) from the George Brown College in Toronto, Canada.
“Canada’s digital health space is actually taking crucial steps towards improving healthcare information- that’s for both healthcare systems and patients alike. Their government is also committed to achieving a more connected healthcare system, [promoting common standards and interoperability,” said Dr. Borja.
Dr. Alvin Marcelo, director of AeHIN and the University of the Philippines Manila Standards and Interoperability Lab (UPM SILab), talked about his experience attending MedInfo23. MedInfo23 was a five-day conference held last July that brought together digital health practitioners from all around the world.
“The technologies for [healthcare systems] interoperability are already here. What’s missing is the “people interoperability” or the coming together of people to agree to exchange data securely and for specific purposes,” said Dr. Marcelo.
The last speaker was Dr. Carlo Mataverde, a Health Informatician for eHealth New South Wales (eHealth NSW). EHealth NSW is a company based in Sydney, Australia, that harnesses digital technology to provide quality care to patients.
“[In crafting better clinical solutions,] we make sure we involve humans in whatever we design. [Our services include] design governance, digital health analysis and guidance, and translation between healthcare and IT,” said Dr. Mataverde.
“[In doing so,] we go through a six-point knowledge domain checklist to ensure that [our designs are beneficial and inclusive] to everyone in the room because [given the many perspectives during the design process], not any one person knows about all this,” added Dr. Mataverde.
Localizing global HI trends
With regards to transforming the Philippines’ health space to match that of other countries, the speakers have some insights to partake.
“To implement these [rising health informatics] trends locally, the Philippines would need to invest in digital infrastructure, promote interoperability among healthcare systems, and develop relevant regulations and policies. Collaborating with experienced countries and organizations can provide valuable insights and guidance,” said Dr. Borja.
“The most important aspect of any change is the people. Without people dedicating their career to help advance informatics, it will be extremely challenging to advance digital health,” said Dr. Mataverde.
Indeed, much is yet to be done to bolster the health technology available to Philippine clinicians and patients. But informative webinars like that of PSDH brings the local healthcare system closer to its international counterparts.
This initiative is part of the PSDH’s advocacy in promoting the Health Data Governance Principles with support from Transform Health. These principles aim to incorporate a human rights and equity lens in data usage across health systems.
“[A robust health informatics field] would increase the establishment of secure and ethical electronic patient records that promote patient safety and population health,” added. Dr. Marcelo.
Interested parties who want to access the recording of the webinar can do so via this link. For news and updates about similar educational activities, visit PSDH’s official website or join its Viber community channel.