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The paper reviews digital solutions for health services management in Brazil, focusing on certified software features. It reveals the integration of various functionalities in operational, financial, and clinical needs simultaneously, which are critical for enhancing operational efficiency and patient care. This study highlights the integration of critical features like interoperability, compliance management, and data-driven decision support, although advancing innovation and integration remains essential for broader impact.
Digital technologies are crucial components in enhancing the efficacy and quality of health services and systems management [
The adoption of commercial digital solutions is essential for improving operational efficiencies and patient care [
To understand off-the-shelf digital solutions and their functionalities, this study included identification, screening, extraction, and qualitative synthesis phases. Given the variability in features and configurations across different off-the-shelf solutions, we aimed to establish a standardized baseline by focusing on solutions certified by recognized organizations. In Brazil, the Brazilian Society of Health Informatics (
From the list of certified systems updated in August 2024, we selected software platforms that held certification in “clinic or outpatient services EHR” and at least 2 additional categories. This criterion was used to identify multimodule solutions or platforms capable of supporting a broader health care system. Ultimately, 7 software platforms were selected from a pool of 20 certified systems. To extract and synthesize their characteristics, we analyzed the SBIS certificates associated with each system, focusing on the specified functionalities and capabilities. Our analysis was guided by the functional requirements theory of software engineering. Subsequently, we visited each system’s official website to gather descriptions, demonstrations, and technical documentation related to functionalities. We manually reviewed all subpages of each website, including user manuals in PDF format, to extract both textual and visual information available for the Brazilian market in Portuguese. The extracted data were consolidated narratively for each system and then clustered into categories and descriptions.
This study did not involve human subjects or sensitive data and therefore did not require ethics board review or approval.
The narrative synthesis included 7 systems—SMED, Soul MV, Philips Tasy, SPDATA, Feegow, TI.Clinic, and PEP Unimed—from the SBIS list [
Summary of features from certified software for health services and systems management in the Brazilian market.
| Feature category | Description |
| Service cycle management | It includes scheduling; hospitalization; urgency and emergency; bed management; companion/visitor control; service panel; and indicators such as bed occupancy rate, average waiting time, and readmission rate. |
| Financial and administrative management | It covers complete financial management, including the administration of multiple institutions, control of accounts payable and receivable, bank reconciliation, invoicing of agreements, tax deductions, financial and accounting reports, and control of cash flow and balance sheets, in addition to indicators. |
| Asset and equipment management | It involves the registration and monitoring of the institution’s assets, including inventory, preventive and corrective maintenance, and the management of medical equipment and infrastructure. |
| Cost management | It involves identification and optimization of operating costs, including cost analysis by control centers, materials, services, costing methods, and productivity indicators. |
| Management of relationship with health maintenance and insurance organizations | It involves complete management of contracts with health operators, including billing, disallowance control, claims, performance of the accredited network, and beneficiary management. |
| Supply and materials management | It covers the acquisition, inventory control, and traceability of medicines and hospital materials; scheduled purchases; and management of critical supplies in accordance with safety and regulatory standards. |
| Sterilization and sanitation management | It involves the control of sterilization and sanitation processes, including the management of beds, hospital materials, and layette stock. |
| Quality and safety indicators | It involves monitoring of critical indicators, including hospital infections, adverse events, and patient safety, in addition to the analysis of deficiencies in hospital processes and identification of root causes. |
| Human resources management | It involves the control of shift schedules, absenteeism, turnover, and overtime, with a focus on talent retention and operational efficiency. |
| Environmental management | It involves the monitoring of water consumption, energy, and waste generation, with a focus on sustainability and operational efficiency. |
| Interoperability and information exchange | It enables the exchange of information with other hospital management systems, including the implementation of standardized rules and integration with regulatory systems such as those from the National Agency of Supplementary Health. |
| Compliance and audit management | It involves continuous monitoring of compliance with local and international regulations, auditing of internal processes, and automatic reporting for inspections and certifications. |
| Supplier relationship management | It allows the management of contracts and supplier performance, with contract renewal alerts, quality and punctuality assessment, and supply chain optimization. |
| Clinical research management | It involves tools to manage clinical trials, including participant recruitment, data collection, protocol monitoring, and results analysis, with compliance with ethical and scientific regulations. |
| Infrastructure and IT management | It involves centralized control of IT infrastructure, including monitoring of servers, networks, and connected medical devices, as well as cybersecurity management and data backups. |
The summary reveals a trend toward integrated systems that address operational, financial, and clinical needs simultaneously. Key features, including interoperability, compliance management, and data-driven decision support, are essential in Brazil’s fragmented health care landscape. Interoperability enables seamless information exchange, crucial for coordinated care, while compliance management ensures adherence to regulatory standards, reducing risks for health care institutions. Data-driven decision support tools allow health care managers to leverage predictive analytics for resource optimization and improved patient outcomes. These features collectively reflect a shift toward holistic, unified platforms capable of meeting modern health care demands. Compared to global standards [
As health care institutions navigate an increasingly complex environment, the development of adaptable and secure digital management solutions will be essential [
EAB has worked for Novartis, AbbVie, and Johnson & Johnson; however, these companies did not provide endorsement or participate in this study. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
electronic health record