Health systems in transition : Uzbekistan

4.1.3 Information technology
Health systems in the former Soviet countries have been slow in taking 
advantage of information technologies (IT). Major barriers to the application 
of these technologies in the Uzbek health system are the lack of access to IT 
hardware, the costs related to the development and application of software, and 
a lack of expertise, capacity and awareness. 
In Uzbekistan the use of IT in government-owned health institutions is very 
limited and mostly confined to basic electronic data collection and entry. No data 
are available with regard to the use of IT in the private sector. Health care users 
are not yet likely to use the Internet as a major tool for the selection of health 
care providers or for accessing health-related information, and Internet-based 
information or services are scarce in the Uzbek health system. However, many 
Russian-language Internet sites can be used by the country’s bilingual population. 
Recent government decrees are creating a strong impetus for the faster 
application of IT in state health care settings (Ministry of Health, 2012; President 
of Uzbekistan, 2012a). The establishment of an integrated national IT framework 
for the state health sector that links the Ministry of Health and 
viloyat
 and 
tuman
 
health authorities is planned, to support reporting and information exchange. 
Electronic databases are planned to be implemented to coordinate emergency 
and ambulance care services, and to monitor and control selected infectious 
diseases, as well as blood transfusions. A number of health care providers 
are working on creating systems of electronic medical records at institutional 
level. The World Bank-funded health reform project and several donor-funded 
projects aim to establish nationwide electronic disease surveillance programmes. 

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Health systems in transition
  
Uzbekistan
63
Telemedicine has been introduced in recent years with international support. 
Four tertiary care institutions have been linked, giving them the option of 
video consultation in complex clinical situations. There are plans to link all 
emergency units in the country, enabling them to consult the national centre in 
real time when faced with complex clinical situations.