There are more than 150 healthcare outsourcing firms in the country. According to Alejandro Melchor, Information Communications and Technology Office (ICTO) deputy executive director, many of these firms initially provided medical transcription. However, the growing industry landscape has led to extension of services such as clinical coding, disease management, revenue cycle management, and pharmaceutical benefits management.

The large pool of nursing and allied medical professionals provides great potential for the country to be a top location for healthcare BPO. Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) show that nursing still generates high enrolment rates despite the lack of demand from hospitals. This trend results to an oversupply of unemployed nurses, estimated by CHED to be at 400,000 early this year. With a background in the medical field, nursing graduates could increase their employability in the HIM industry.

With the IT-BPO industry growing at a rapid rate, more locations outside Metro Manila and Cebu are becoming hubs for outsourcing firms. A study by the Business Processing Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and ICTO identified Davao, Iloilo, Sta. Rosa in Laguna, Bacolod in Negros Occidental, Metro Cavite, Lipa in Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Malolos in Bulacan, Baguio City, and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental as next wave cities for BPO centers.

The road ahead for the HIM industry

Senate Bill No. 2965 or the Data Privacy Act, already passed by both Senate and Congress and is now awaiting the President's approval, is seen to bolster the BPO industry as it delivers more reliable services based on the European Parliament standards and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Information Privacy Framework.