The Advanced Digital Signature is becoming increasingly important in prescriptions, with multiple advantages, from case tracking to sustainability and paper savings. With the arrival of winter, seasonal viruses and the continuous cases of coronavirus, the health system is highly congested, both virtually and in person. Online consultations are already a reality and it is here that the use of the Advanced Electronic Signature, which authenticates both the doctor and the patient and supports the work of the health centers, has taken on great relevance. “Doctors can sign medical prescriptions electronically and this helps them to have the patient’s entire clinical record, without the need to have a physical repository. This is one of the things that our clients value, as they save on the physical custody of the information, which is vital when there are judicial events, for example, when they need the evidence, which is authenticated by the patient’s advanced electronic signature”, explains Danny Vargas, commercial assistant manager of IDOK, a Chilean company that certifies the digital signature. On the patients’ side, one of the things that Vargas highlights is that with the Advanced Electronic Signature people can change their health plan or even their medical institution. Likewise, they can sign the so-called “Patient Informed Consent”. “This helps the healthcare institution to have a digital medical history of the patient. In this way, the documents can be kept safe and the institution keeps evidence with probative value of the signatures,” adds the executive. The development of the Electronic Prescription with Advanced Electronic Signature has also reached the public sector. The Ministry of Health has been preparing its implementation since 2021, so it is expected that in the next few years prescriptions will no longer be printed and the manual signature will no longer be used, which for now remains in force and scanning is authorized. “There is a whole cultural issue, there are always people who are reluctant to change, especially the elderly. But today in the clinics, when the health professional gives you a test or prescription, they do it digitally. They are authenticated by biometric verification, for example, they have their fingerprint. Of course, the percentage that are not doing it electronically is very small, but the complete change is coming in the whole system,” IDOK says. Regarding the Electronic Prescription, the following advantages can be detailed: -Compliance with regulations: issued prescriptions comply with format established by regulations avoiding rejections at the time of dispensing. -Traceability of prescriptions: it allows the coding of each prescription (DS 466 art.38) allowing for tracking and surveillance. -Prevention of forgery and illegal practice of the profession: the system should be connected to official databases to authenticate the prescriber, dispenser and user. -Safeguarding of information: all data are stored in a centralized repository. -Official language allowing communication between systems: interconnected computer systems must use a common language (ICD 10, SNOMED). -Prevention of medication errors: avoids problems of illegibility, allows early detection and monitoring of medication errors associated with prescriptions and dispensing. EXPOHOSPITAL 2022 In response to the need to promote the development of health in the country, the international health fair ExpoHospital 2022 will be held, a space designed for commercial exchange, the introduction of new technologies, and the debate on the advances and challenges that today are presented in medicine at a global level. In this new version of the international health exhibition and congress, which will be held between September 6 and 8 at the new Metropolitan Santiago convention center, the latest trends in the industry specialized in patient care will be analyzed, and solutions will be presented to face the challenges of today’s medical problems. The fair will cover an area of 5,000 square meters and expects to receive more than 5,000 visitors, including professionals and executives from the academic and public sectors. ExpoHospital will also present more than 500 brands from Chile and abroad. Currently, the Expo Salud international fair and congress is the only event in the country for the health sector, where diverse industry exponents present advances, innovations and solutions to the main problems in the field, which has witnessed great challenges in facing the covid-19 pandemic. Source: El Mostrador