An implementation and evaluation study of digital health solutions at the International Hospital of Colombia
Digital transformation in Latin America’s health sector is now essential to improve quality, efficiency, and access in historically fragmented systems. This review presents the experience of International Hospital of Colombia (Hospital Internacional de Colombia [HIC]) as a case study of multidisciplinary digital transformation in a middle-income country. It summarizes HIC’s long-term digital strategy, including the implementation of proprietary solutions supporting its in-house electronic health record, structured clinical documentation, and interoperable systems integrating robotics and voice assistants across surgical and clinical environments. The article examines the use of artificial intelligence to enhance patient safety, clinical decision-making, and operational efficiency, and analyzes regulatory, cultural, economic, and technical barriers to adoption, along with strategies to address them. Reported outcomes include improvements in patient safety, workflow efficiency, international visibility, and patient experience. The case highlights the importance of leadership commitment, multidisciplinary collaboration, internal capacity building, and phased implementation, and offers transferable lessons for healthcare institutions in Latin America and other Global South settings seeking to align digital innovation with clinical excellence to support sustainable, patient-centered health system transformation.
