Andalusian Public Healthcare System (SSPA)

In Spain, the competence for healthcare is the responsibility of the regions. The Andalusian Public Healthcare System (SSPA) is an ecosystem of public and universal healthcare provision, which is made up of a series of public agencies, managed by the Government of Andalusia. 

The SSPA has a total of 32 hospitals in the region of Andalusia.

Within this ecosystem, the main healthcare provider agency is the Andalusian Health Service.

Andalusian Health Service (SAS)

The Andalusian Health Service, created in 1986 by Law 8/1986, of May 6, 1986, on the Andalusian Health Service, is attached to the Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and performs the functions attributed to it under the supervision and control of the same.

Its mission is to provide healthcare to the citizens of Andalusia, offering quality public health services, ensuring accessibility, equity and user satisfaction, seeking efficiency and optimal use of resources.

The SAS guarantees free public health care to more than 8 million inhabitants, which represents about 17% of the Spanish population. The Andalusian Health Service has 28 hospitals, distributed throughout Andalusia. It is also functionally responsible for the centers belonging to the Public Health Business Agencies and the Aljarafe Public Health Consortium. In addition, there are 14 Health Management Areas.

The Andalusian Health Service is an administrative agency of those provided for in Article 65 of Law 9/2007, of October 22, is attached to the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, depending specifically on the Vice-Ministry, according to Decree 156/2022, of August 9, which establishes the organisational structure of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. The Andalusian Health Service exercises the functions specified in this Decree, subject to the guidelines and general criteria of health policy in Andalusia and, in particular, the following:

- The management of the set of health services in the field of health promotion and protection, disease prevention, healthcare and rehabilitation that corresponds to it in the territory of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

- The administration and management of the health institutions, centers and services that act under its organic and functional dependence.

- The management of the human, material and financial resources assigned to it for the development of its functions.

Diraya: system used in the Andalusian Health Service to support the Electronic Health Record in Andalusia

Diraya is the system used in the Andalusian Health Service to support electronic health records. It integrates all the health information of each person treated in the healthcare centers in Andalusia, so that it is available wherever and whenever it is necessary to treat them, and it is also used for the management of the healthcare system.

Diraya's conceptual model and technological architecture have aroused significant interest in other healthcare administrations thanks to, among others, cutting-edge services such as the electronic prescription or the centralised appointment system.

A description of the Diraya system (objectives, basic components, modules, functional and technological architecture, impact assessment of its implementation, etc.) can be found in the following document: Health Care Information and Management Integrated System.