The Director General (NDoH) has approved the publication of a book titled

"The Emerging South African National Digital Health System: Strategies, Approaches and Experiences."

Its purpose is to highlight strategies and experiences in creating a National Health Information System that ensures efficient, person-centered healthcare information flow across institutional and provincial boundaries. The book, a joint effort between NDoH and CSIR, will undergo a double-blind peer review and editing process.

The book aims to offer an in-depth overview of the research shaping the Emerging South African National Digital Health System and interim strategies, approaches and experiences, emphasizing the academic rigor and validity of its findings. Each chapter should delve into a specific aspect of the system and should enable readers to comprehend its relevant elements and the associated challenges and opportunities of its rollout within the South African Health Ecosystem.

Contributions from various authors should offer diverse insights and/or firsthand experiences, enriching discussions on the system and narrating the continuous enhancement in the South African National Digital Health context.

Opinion pieces that align with the NHI, the Digital Health Strategy, and the strengthening of the Health System will be taken into consideration.

Submission Guidelines

Contributions for this edited book are intended to range from 70,000 to 100,000 words; and each book chapter or section range from 5,000 to 20,000 words including all the materials.

Should your schedule not allow a full contribution at this time, we would welcome either a Commentary or Short Communication of 1,000-4,000 words. Submission guideline available for abstract.

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference.

Topics of Interest

Health Information System, Digital Health, Interoperability, and the growing understanding of what such a system would entail, and what its characteristics would have to be to support the NHI.

Opinion pieces that align with the NHI, the Digital Health Strategy, and the strengthening of the Health System will be taken into consideration.

Committees

Editors

• Prof Adele Botha
• Prof Marlien Herselman
• Dr Petro Rousseau

Important Dates

• August & September 2023: MS Teams Briefing those interested to submit
• 26 October 2023: Deadline for abstract submission
• 20 November 2023: Feedback for successful abstracts
• 29 February 2024: Deadline for final paper submission

Abstract submission:

Format of Abstract

**Title of the Chapter**

• Purpose:
• Study design/methodology/approach:
• Findings Originality/value:
• Keywords:
• Author/s and affiliations:

Contact

Any queries and abstract submissions to <digitalhealth@health.gov.za>

Subject: SA National Digital Health System Book