The national health programme in Indonesia faces a formidable challenge on its path to establishing a comprehensive and effective health system: a disconnected recording and reporting system. Many health programmes have their own information system platforms that are not yet interoperable with the national information system. Moreover, at subnational level, Puskesmas and hospitals established individual registries—SIKDA, e-Puskesmas, ENA, and SIM-RS—exacerbating the issue, leading to data silos and hampered collaboration. This situation impedes the programme’s effectiveness. The need for integrated and streamlined health information becomes apparent, a transformational intervention is required to address these disconnected gaps and create a unified health system for better patient care and disease control.
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, digital transformation has emerged as a crucial enabler to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of medical data. Indonesia has taken a significant step forward by integrating the Hepatitis Information System (SIHEPI) with Puskesmas and hospital e-registries, facilitating seamless recording and reporting of health data at provincial level in Jakarta. This ground-breaking initiative, led by Jakarta Provincial Health Office (PHO) in collaboration with the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) and direction from Hepatitis Working Group, MoH, WHO along with Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), aims to improve the country’s health information system and strengthen the fight against hepatitis.
The Working Group Hepatitis team of MoH Indonesia; WHO, Jakarta PHO, Central Jakarta DHO and Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital staff in process of integrating the system, pulling out the indicators required from SIHEPI to the hospital e-registry platform. (Credit: Jakarta PHO)
WHO and the MoH’s Hepatitis Working Group underscore the importance of a comprehensive and collaborative approach to enhance the Hepatitis programme by harmonizing health information system from subnational to national level. WHO provided specialized knowledge and shared guidance and best practices to ensure the smooth integration of SIHEPI. This effort serves as a blueprint for advancing the health information system. As the integration progresses, this initiative will potentially be extended beyond Jakarta, inspiring similar initiatives nationwide. WHO's technical assistance propels this effort forward, showcasing WHO commitment and dedication to building stronger, data-driven healthcare systems that benefit populations far and wide.
Wisnu, DTO’s staff and Jakarta PHO team discuss the flow of the integration from SIHEPI into e-Pus (Puskesmas Gambir E-Registry) to reduce workload and increase efficiency in recording and reporting (Credit: Jakarta PHO)
With the integration of SIHEPI and Puskesmas' information systems, healthcare workers experienced a remarkable reduction in the time and effort required for data recording. This integration has proven beneficial, reducing the time from 30 to 10 minutes. Building upon this success, the initiative has been scaled up to include 14 major hospitals and more than 300 Puskesmas in DKI Jakarta, where the integration of SIHEPI with the Hospital Information System (SIMRS) has been endorsed by all stakeholders, promising to alleviate the burden of data recording and reporting.
This initiative was implemented successfully as a result of the high engagement and leadership from Jakarta PHO. Jakarta PHO extracted relevant indicators from health facilities’ information system and integrated them to SIHEPI, reducing data replication and redundancy. This unified system allows for automatic data synchronization and information exchange.
dr. Dwi Oktavia, TLH, M. Epid, Head of Disease Prevention and Control for Jakarta PHO and the team discuss the integration of SIHEPI into Cipto Mangunkusomo’s SIM-RS (Credit: Jakarta PHO)
Moreover, SIHEPI offers an additional feature that benefits positive patients, which is the ‘alert icon’ to ensure adherence on the follow-up plan for the triple elimination programme in pregnant women (HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B). This feature also reminds people with HIV-positive status to undergo hepatitis C testing. These additional features eventually led to enhanced overall health outcomes in the key targeted population.
This integration marks a momentous achievement in the nation's health landscape by bridging the silo in recording and reporting systems. With this success, Jakarta has set an exemplary standard for other regions and programme to replicate. This transformative initiative exemplifies the power of collaboration, digital innovation, and a shared commitment to building a healthier future for all residents of Jakarta.
While overseeing the SIHEPI and SIM-RS platform in Cipto Mangunkusomo hospital, dr. Dwi Oktavia TLH, M. Epid, Head of Disease Prevention and Control for Jakarta Provincial Health Office, remarked that "In the era of digital transformation, integrated recording and reporting for infectious disease programmes such as hepatitis, HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a dream come true. The focus on integration is key, where technology and collaboration among health service providers unite, forming a solid barrier against infectious disease. With the spirit of togetherness, DKI Jakarta Province is committed to leading change towards a healthier and prosperous society."
Furthermore, dr. Lady MF Sirait, MSc., Programme Manager of Hepatitis, Jakarta PHO, said "To enhance healthcare efficiency and streamline data management, SIHEPI integration with e-registry will save time and reduce workload."
Through unwavering determination and collaborative efforts, Jakarta PHO successfully overcame the challenge of disconnected recording and reporting systems. The unified health system powered by SIHEPI, along with Puskesmas and hospital e-registry, ushers in a new era of integrated healthcare management. The nation stands stronger in the fight against hepatitis, HIV, and STIs, armed with real-time data insights, timely interventions, and improved patient outcomes. As the country embraces digital transformation, this success story becomes a guiding light for other disease programme striving to build connected and cohesive platform.
Jakarta's integrated health system initiative for hepatitis serves as a model for how technology and collaboration can transform healthcare delivery. By breaking down silos and streamlining data management, Jakarta is setting new standards for infectious disease control and laying the groundwork for comprehensive, data-driven approach. WHO will provide technical assistance to ensure the integration of SIHEPI seamlessly occur in other provinces referring to Jakarta’s model. WHO's role in facilitating this integration underscores its commitment to empowering data-driven decision-making, thereby enabling more effective allocation of resources, targeted interventions, and better patient outcomes.
Written by the following WHO Indonesia personnel:
Irvin Romyco, National Professional Officer for HIV, Hepatitis & STI
Resita Dyah Purnama Suci, Hepatitis Program Data Assistant
Nurhayati Kawi, National Consultant for Hepatitis