Connected Health Development in R. Macedonia: Focus on Health Insurance Fund

Abstract

The increasing adoption of Information and communication technologies (ICT) is widely recognized as a key factor for making healthcare more cost-effective. On the other hand, Connected Health involves the use of ICT to improve the quality service of healthcare and its outcomes. With the introduction of healthcare reform, many citizens of Republic of Macedonia are receiving access to a healthcare system that provides high-quality care at reduced costs, allowing the patients to save time and expense. The aim of this paper is to give a brief overview of the affection of e-services and electronic data exchange (between Fund's ICT systems and other IT systems in related healthcare institutions) at the healthcare quality for insured people, to facilitate the accessing and sharing of information and savings funds. Presented analysis can serve as a valuable input for the healthcare authorities in making decisions related to development of e-services in healthcare and connected health.