Portugal’s National Health Service turns 47 with tech advances
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In 1979, Portugal established its National Health Service (SNS), and over the past 47 years, technology has fundamentally changed how the country delivers healthcare.
Initially, technology in the SNS focused on administrative tasks like tracking patients and hospital operations. In 1988, the Integrated Hospital Information System (SONHO) began installation in hospitals, followed by SINUS for primary care, managing appointments and patient records. These systems connected through the Health Information Network (RIS), moving health information away from paper records.
The SNS then expanded technology into clinical practice with systems like the Doctor Support System (SAM) and the Nursing Practice Support System (SAPE), used to record consultations and prescriptions. These tools eventually evolved into SClínico, as the SNS sought to consolidate its information systems. However, hospitals and health centers often operated as isolated data silos until the launch of the Health Data Platform (PDS) in 2012.
The PDS allowed hospitals to share patient information across institutions, regardless of location, and brought digital services directly to citizens. This included the Paperless Prescription system, implemented nationwide by 2016, and the SNS 24 digital health portal, launched in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine. In 2023, the government invested 117 million euros to modernize SNS technology, adding robotic surgery equipment and imaging technology.
The SNS is now developing a Unified Electronic Health Record (RSEu) to further integrate data and leverage artificial intelligence.
