A Philippine delegation recently conducted roadshows in the United States to promote healthcare information management (HIM) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The delegation included representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP), Board of Investments (BOI), and the BPO sector.

Competitive Advantage of Philippine BPO Sectors

During tours in New York, Texas, Florida and California, DTI undersecretary of Industry Promotion Nora Terrado and HIMAP president Christina Coronel told participants that the HIM and BPO sectors have matured in terms of capabilities and competitive advantage. The speakers highlighted the Philippines’ strengths such as the large number of nursing graduates and a talent pool that speaks good American English.

They added that Filipino health professionals are considered a natural fit for the HIM segment, which pays salaries that are significantly higher than those for non-IT employees. In addition, the high level of education and competitive labor rates continue to attract investors.

Outsourced Healthcare Information Management Services

Healthcare information management providers have expanded their offerings to include complex voice/non-voice services and multilingual support for clients in Asia and the Middle East. Among the services offered are clinical management, benefits claims testing, case management, regulatory management, medical writing, medical and clinical trial monitoring, quality, and compliance.

In 2016, the Philippine healthcare BPO Segment generated $2.4 billion in revenues and employed 118,245 people. This represents a 54 percent increase in revenue and 36 percent increase in employment since 2011. The HIM sector expects to reach US$5 billion in revenues by 2020.