Digitizing access to health appointments in Lima (PE0119)

Description of the commitment

What is the public problem that the commitment addresses?

People must travel between health facilities to schedule available care appointments and many times turns are not respected nor is installed capacity utilized. The population of Metropolitan Lima is estimated at more than 10 million inhabitants as of June 2025. This figure represents 30.4% of the total population of Peru, which amounts to 34 million 350 thousand 244 inhabitants, according to INEI projections, where the persistence of significant inequalities in the allocation of resources and in urban development is also well known, affecting part of the population that lives in rural, marginal, and even dispersed conditions, despite being the capital of the country.

That said, the citizen of Metropolitan Lima who requires health care at a first-level health facility faces problems due to the lack of information on appointment availability. They usually have to travel or call several times to obtain information on health care, which generates loss of time, and there is also distrust regarding the possibility of accessing an online health care appointment, as they think it may be subject to favoritism or that it does not guarantee being seen without presenting a physical proof of the appointment. In this regard, in many first-level health facilities, patients (pregnant women, children, elderly adults) have to stand in long lines since the early morning hours in order to obtain a care appointment at their health facility. Not having accessible information means that obtaining a health care appointment requires investing time and money to stand in these long lines without the guarantee that upon arriving at the admissions window there will be available slots for care at the facility and the required specialty, which they need, this being more critical at the first level of health care, and which can generate complications in people's health conditions.

What is the commitment?

To improve access to information and health services provided by first- level health facilities in Metropolitan Lima, through the optimization of the online appointment module in MINSA Digital, linked to the Electronic Clinical Records Information System (SIHCE) of MINSA. Through this commitment, the Ministry of Health seeks to strengthen communication and transparency with citizens, facilitating that people can access in a simple, timely, and clear manner information on the availability of health care appointments, health services, and office hours at health facilities.

In this way, the goal is not only to improve the health user experience by making the platform design more user-friendly and inclusive, but also to reduce the information barriers that currently limit equitable access to health care, thereby promoting more open, transparent, and citizen- centered management.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem?

The commitment proposes strengthening the use of the information system for managing online appointments for primary health care services through the "MINSA Digital" platform. Through this system, citizens will have access to real-time, up-to-date information on appointment availability, specialists, schedules, and rescheduling at health care facilities in Metropolitan Lima, thereby improving transparency in appointment management and facilitating patient referral processes.

The Ministry of Health (MINSA), in its governing role, seeks to guarantee more equitable, efficient, and timely access to health services. Thanks to the online appointment service, people will no longer need to travel or stand in long lines to access health care, being able to manage their appointment from their home or mobile device. This contributes not only to optimizing citizens' time, but also to improving the efficiency of the care system, reducing congestion at health facilities.

Likewise, the initiative is complemented with communication and dissemination actions so that citizens become aware of and use this digital service. In this way, transparency in the supply of public health services is promoted and citizen trust is strengthened by facilitating access to clear, timely, and verifiable information on available health care. Finally, all information will be recorded and managed through the Electronic Clinical Records Information System (SIHCE) of MINSA, allowing for continuous monitoring of the level of adoption, use, and results of the initiative.

Why is the commitment relevant to the principles of Open Government?

The commitment directly contributes to the principle of transparency and access to public information, by allowing citizens to have clear, updated, and real-time information on the availability of health care appointments at first-level health facilities in Metropolitan Lima where MINSA's SIHCE is used. Through the MINSA Digital platform, the goal is for people to be able to consult, schedule, and monitor their health care appointments autonomously and free of charge, strengthening citizen trust in public services and improving transparency in care processes.

Likewise, the publication of aggregated and anonymized information on appointment management will be promoted in the National Health Information Repository - REUNIS and on the National Open Data Platform, which will allow for public monitoring of the progress and results of the service, fostering accountability and the use of data for continuous improvement. In this way, the commitment contributes to the construction of a more open, transparent, and citizen-centered State, ensuring that people access health services with reliable, timely, and accessible information.

Commitment Program

Milestone Activity | Responsible Organic Unit | Verification Method | Start Date | End Date
1. Health user consultation at the 04 DIRIS of Metropolitan Lima. | General Office of Information Technologies (OGTI); Integrated Health Network Directorates (DIRIS) | Consultation report | January 2026 | January 2026
2. Approved process of the Online Appointment Service through MINSA Digital. | General Directorate of Insurance and Service Exchange (DGAIN); General Office of Information Technology (OGTI) | Certificate of conformity | January 2026 | April 2026
3. Formulation of Communication Strategy from MINSA. | General Office of Communications (OGC); DIRIS | OGC Report | January 2026 | December 2027
4. Quarterly monitoring of the progress of online appointment service usage. | General Office of Information Technology (OGTI) | Monitoring report | April 2026 | December 2027
5. Perception and satisfaction survey. | General Office of Information Technology (OGTI) | Perception and satisfaction survey | August 2026 | September 2026
6. Solution redesign and field validation of the proposal. | OGTI | Update approval certificate | October 2026 | November 2026
7. Measurement of indicators. | OGTI | Indicators report in REUNIS | April 2026 | December 2027

Final Product

Online appointments requested through MINSA Digital to be seen at first-level health facilities of MINSA in Metropolitan Lima.

Result Indicators for the Sustainability of the Commitment

• Percentage of people who use the online appointment service provided by MINSA Digital who successfully complete their health care visit at first-level health facilities in Metropolitan Lima.
• First-level health facilities of MINSA in Metropolitan Lima that offer the online appointment service through MINSA Digital for health users in their jurisdiction (this may be the focus for the pilot and testing phase of the commitment's implementation, to later scale and expand coverage to other health users, sectors, etc.).
• Percentage of people satisfied with the online appointment service provided by MINSA Digital to be seen at first-level health facilities in Metropolitan Lima.

Commitment monitoring information

Entity responsible for the commitment
Ministry of Health (MINSA)

Organic unit responsible for commitment monitoring General Office of Information Technology (OGTI)