1. What is happening in the Colombian healthcare system?

The Audifarma crisis reflects the structural problems facing the Colombian healthcare system. The 61% drop in its profits during 2023 and its entry into a business reorganization process are signs of a weakened value chain. The key factors worsening this situation include:

• Accumulated debts by EPSs: Delays in payments to suppliers have created a domino effect impacting all system actors.
• Operational inefficiency: Manual and disorganized processes increase costs and reduce system efficiency.
• Challenges in primary care: Users face long waits to access medical appointments, medications, and specialists.

2. What does the healthcare reform propose, and why is it controversial?

The healthcare reform in Colombia aims to decentralize the system and strengthen primary care. However, this proposal has sparked intense debate, as without the proper infrastructure, it could worsen existing problems.

Main points of the reform:

• Creating a healthcare model that is closer to patients, especially in rural areas.
• Eliminating the EPSs’ role in certain processes, centralizing resource management under the State.
• Promoting the use of technological tools to improve system efficiency.

Key criticisms:

• Lack of clarity on the financing of the new model.
• Possible increase in administrative burden for healthcare institutions.
• Uncertainty about the system’s ability to coordinate decentralized actors.

3. How technology has transformed systems in crisis: Lessons for Colombia

History shows that technology can be a key driver in overcoming financial and structural crises. Cases such as the banking sector during the Great Recession (2008) or the healthcare sector in India clearly illustrate how innovation can save entire industries.

Success stories:

• Banking sector transformation: After 2008, process automation and digital platforms helped banks reduce costs and regain consumer trust.
• Telemedicine in India: Frente a una creciente demanda y recursos limitados, India implementó consultas virtuales y digitalizó historiales médicos, mejorando la accesibilidad y eficiencia del sistema.
• Uber and Resource Optimization: Uber’s technological platform demonstrated how real-time connectivity can maximize resource utilization and efficiently meet demand.

Lessons applicable to the Colombian healthcare system:

• Process automation: Digitizing medical appointment scheduling and service authorizations can reduce wait times and optimize resources.
• Data interoperability: Implementing platforms that connect EPSs, IPSs, and suppliers to ensure efficient coordination.
• Telemedicine and self-management: Facilitating access to virtual consultations and self-management tools can ease the burden on in-person services.

4. Technological strategies to save Colombia’s healthcare system

COCO proposes technological solutions that can transform the Colombian healthcare system, preventing collapse and ensuring long-term sustainability:

Automation of cash flow and financial management

• Tools that track outstanding payments between EPSs and IPSs in real-time.
• AI systems to anticipate cash flow problems and optimize resources.

Interoperability among system actors

• Technological platforms that connect EPSs, IPSs, and suppliers like Audifarma, ensuring the continuous supply of medications and services.

Telemedicine as an Immediate Solution

• Implementing virtual consultations to ease hospital congestion and facilitate access to primary care in rural areas.

Dynamic inventory management

• Optimizing medication management with technological solutions that minimize waste and ensure real-time availability.

5. A call to action: How can we prevent collapse?

The Colombian healthcare system faces enormous challenges, but it is not doomed to collapse. Technology offers a clear path to sustainability, but it requires the collaboration of all involved actors: government, businesses, healthcare institutions, and citizens.

Questions for debate:

• What role should technology play in healthcare reform?
• How can key players like Audifarma maintain their operations amid the crisis?
• Is decentralization the solution or a greater risk to system sustainability?