MediRec
Case · Tuberculosis
Connecting data, tracking each case.
The role of information integration in tuberculosis care. MediRec connects the systems the network already uses — SINAN, GAL, SISREG, SIMC — and transforms fragmented data into a clear pathway: from suspected disease to case closure, with the patient always in view.
The problem
Care fails not because of a lack of systems — but because of the gaps left between them.
The workflow breaks down between systems. These gaps are where people with tuberculosis can be lost to follow-up.
An incomplete GAL request.
A SISREG referral with the wrong risk classification.
An abnormal test result that no one sees.
A counter-referral that never returns.
“I suspected — now what? The patient delivered the sputum; has the MRT or AFB come out yet? And the culture, which takes ~2 months, does it get lost on the way?”
Following the patient after tuberculosis is suspected currently depends on healthcare professionals constantly reminding themselves to update SINAN, check test results, and follow the DOT record — across systems that do not communicate. This is where underreporting, treatment abandonment, and loss to follow-up begin.
The routine today
The constellation of chaos
The Rio network operates with 9 distinct information systems, each with its own logic and no native integration. To follow a single case of tuberculosis — notifying the case, requesting sputum smear microscopy, regulating referrals, tracing contacts, and monitoring treatment — professionals move manually through nearly every system. The patient view becomes fragmented, follow-up depends on individual memory, and care time is lost switching between screens.
Today, the professional deals directly with All Systems — requests and results, back and forth, multiplied for every patient. With MediRec, the systems feed a single layer, which consolidates per patient and shows the professional only what is a priority.
The proposal
MediRec does not replace any source system. It orchestrates the systems already in place.
How it works
A layer on top of what already exists
You just saw this layer in action. Underneath, it doesn't replace any system — it organizes what the network already uses, into three levels.
The professional interface, showing each patient's clear, prioritized pathway.
Bringing surveillance and lab data together in one place.
They remain the official sources of information.
The three pillars
From scattered data to right action — at intake, along the pathway, and at the point of decision.
For every tuberculosis case, data becomes action — before a gap leads to treatment abandonment.
Smart Request
The professional is guided to qualify the requisition before the error occurs.
Active surveillance
Surveillance becomes active rather than reactive: MediRec cross-references data sources to detect inconsistencies and flag situations that need attention before they become treatment interruptions or losses to follow-up.
In practice, the Resistant TB (TBDR) no longer emerges only when culture is reviewed around the fifth month — cross-referencing raises suspected resistance sooner and supports earlier action, instead of allowing the result to get lost along the way.
Guided Decision-Making
Protocols move off the page and become active parts of the workflow.
The professional enters the clinical description.
MediRec evaluates inclusion and exclusion criteria (SISREG).
The system suggests the most appropriate clinical action at the point of decision.
29-year-old patient, persistent dry cough and fever for ~3 weeks, with no clinical improvement. Induced sputum is requested for diagnostic investigation.
Status: pending regulationInvalid request: does not meet the reference criteria. To be valid — inability to spontaneously expectorate (or low-quality sputum), clinical suspicion and, ideally, radiological changes suggestive of pulmonary TB.
Protocols come to life: instead of remaining documents that are rarely consulted, they become an effective part of everyday work.
MediRec in practice
In tuberculosis, no one falls into the gap
The cross-referenced data from the previous section becomes a work queue: the dashboard shows who needs attention before the situation becomes treatment abandonment or loss to follow-up. The team can act directly from the dashboard.
Schematic illustration of the interface — fictitious data.
Team and territory
Turning data into InformACTION
A direct bridge between the technical team and community care — replacing hallway WhatsApp messages and paper Ficha B forms.
Identifies the need for DOT or control sputum smear microscopy.
Official task created with the entire clinical context.
Receives the structured request.
Performs and responds in the same environment.
What changes
Results that come back to care
Error reduction
Fewer requests returned in SISREG and fewer nonconformities in GAL. The actual need for each test is properly assessed, and patients reach specialist care without repeated back-and-forth referrals.
Integrated communication
Parallel tools are eliminated — sample logbooks, duplicate spreadsheets, and disconnected WhatsApp messages. The Tasks module becomes the official bridge between the technical team and community health workers.
End-to-end traceability
A complete record of the care pathway across the network identifies patients with pending tests and situations that require immediate team intervention.
Clinical time gained
Recovered time returns to what matters: identifying new cases, supporting treatment adherence groups, and actively reaching patients who miss appointments. More time for care.
The journey
From one pilot to the entire network
From the first unit to the municipal network, always by the same principle: complement what already exists.
Jan 2025
Ground zero
Pilot at CF Vila do João (AP 3.1), born from the real needs of the ESF with SISREG.
Jul 2025
Municipal scale
Official expansion to the entire municipality.
Nov 2025
Expansion of scope
Customization for other chronic communicable diseases.
2026
Full coverage
1,286 teams in 247 basic units, in the nine programmatic areas of the municipality — with active and new integrations under implementation.
Source: Memorandum S/SUBPAV No. 16/2026.
The meaning of everything
Giving time back to care.
“Gathering and integrating data is not enough — we need to turn it into action. That is what we have been doing: turning information into action.”
MediRec allows the network to see the TB patient in near real time. Technology at the service of life.