SUS Digital: How does the Ministry of Health want to use artificial intelligence to reduce queues?

The SUS Digital program is in the works to facilitate care in the Unified Health System. The ministry of health wants Applying the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to expand the population’s access to public health faster and reduce queues.

“The Department of Health, with a large team, is designing the Digital SUS, digital inclusion at all levels of the Unified Health System (SUS), from primary care. [em Unidades Básicas de Saúde, por exemplo] in the third step [de alta complexidade, como Unidades de Terapia Intensiva]Cleinaldo de Almeida Costa, director of the Department of Digital Health and Innovation (Desd), Secretary of Information and Digital Health (Seidigi-MS) at the Ministry of Health, said: Brazil Agency.

The purpose of digital SUS is to “make the system friendlier, closer to the citizen and make the user’s life easier”. Access to public health must be rethought by redesigning the industry for the next two decades, using artificial intelligence and big data.

The main points listed by the director are:

• Involve more citizens;
• Optimize diagnostics;
• Facilitate healthcare;
• Bring SUS to mobile phones and tablets;
• Reduce the queues.

There are projects currently being tested, some started during the Covid-19 pandemic, for example with TeleUTI, a telemedicine mission that supports, educates and trains healthcare professionals. On the other hand, the health crisis caused by the coronavirus delayed the technological development in Brazilian health.

No scheduled date yet

Therefore, the infrastructure needs to be improved for the implementation of Digital SUS. Besides, it is also necessary to guarantee the security of user data synchronously. General Data Protection Law (LGPD).

“It is also within this ethical scenario that the healthcare system works to strengthen the user’s digital experience and bring health closer to the daily lives of Brazilian citizens,” Cleinaldo added.

Seidigi accompanies Bill (PL) 2338/23. Currently being debated in the Senate, the PL aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the country. There is no date for voting for now. Nor does the government have a deadline for adding AI to SUS..