Smarter and Integrated Local Health Information System (SMILHIS) wins bronze and special prize at SIIF 2024

Seoul, South Korea – The Smarter and Integrated Local Health Information System (SMILHIS) project, spearheaded by the Institute of Philippine Culture – Dr Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences of Ateneo de Manila University funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), achieved remarkable recognition at the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) 2024. The project was awarded the Bronze Prize by the Korean Invention Promotion Association (KIPA) and the Special Prize for Best International Invention by the Malaysian Association of Research Scientists (MARS). The event, held at COEX Exhibition Hall C in Seoul, brought together more than 500 inventions from 32 countries.

Representing the SMILHIS project was Jaztine Calderon, an IPC project researcher of the Local Government Unit-Mandated eHealth Networked Services for Universal Health Care (UHC LeHNS). Calderon, along with other innovators, delivered an elevator pitch to a panel of judges from KIPA, focusing on the ingenuity, novelty, development stage, and unique value proposition of their respective projects.

The SMILHIS pitch emphasized the journey of developing its technical solution for health systems interoperability in collaboration with partner Local Government Units (LGUs). The innovation is rooted in the everyday challenges faced by LGU health workers and promises to connect health facilities, enabling the secure sharing of patient information through authoritative records such as the Philippine National ID System and the COVID-19 Vaccination List. This ensures that patients’ medical histories are accessible across clinics and hospitals, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of healthcare delivery.

SMILHIS supports the delivery of Universal Health Care (UHC) by facilitating efficient health information exchange across service delivery networks in local communities. As part of the eHATID LGU System, SMILHIS reflects significant progress in health information technology and currently has a pending patent application.

The SMILHIS project was supported by Ateneo de Manila University and the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI). DOST-TAPI’s internationalization campaign for technology promotion highlights the ingenuity of Filipino inventors and innovators, providing opportunities to showcase their achievements on a global stage.

SMILHIS Project Team – Dennis B. Batangan, MD, MSc; Philip Christian Zuñiga; Jaztine Calderon; Patria Luwalhati Garcia; Jose Francisco Santiago; Jan Jacob Carpio; Queen Tayam; Andrew Lacsina