The Global Impact of Open Data

Chapter 11. Uruguay’s A Tu Servicio

Empowering Citizens to Make Data-Driven Decisions on Health Care

By David Sangokoya, Ali Clare, Stefaan Verhulst and Andrew Young

Summary: Every February, Uruguayan citizens are given the opportunity to choose whether to change or stay with their existing health care provider. In the country’s mixed public-private health care system, several factors come into play when making this decision: the location of the health provider, number of doctors and pediatricians available, hours open, etc. How can Uruguayan citizens make data-driven, informed decisions on choosing health care providers? Datos Abiertos, Transparencia y Acceso a la Inform (DATA) Uruguay, an open data civil society organization, partnered with the Uruguayan Ministry of Health to create A Tu Servicio (http://atuservicio.uy), a website providing easily digestible, searchable and visualized infographics based on open government health data. The Web platform allows users to select their location and then to compare local health care providers based on a wide range of parameters and indicators, such as facility type, medical specialty, care goals, wait times and patient rights. A Tu Servicio has introduced a new paradigm of patient choice into Uruguay’s health care sector, enabling citizens not only to navigate through a range of options but also generating a healthy and informed debate on how more generally to improve the country’s health care sector.

Dimension of Impact: Empowering ...