HEPIC was created in 2007 through a close collaboration between First and healthcare professionals at Hospital de Santa Luzia de Viana do Castelo, now part of the Local Health Unit of Alto Minho (ULSAM). It became the first public hospital in Portugal to implement a dedicated information system for epidemiological surveillance, aimed at digitising critical processes within the GCL-PPCIRA service.

Over the past decade, the partnership has expanded into additional areas, becoming a strategic reference for First. HEPIC has continuously evolved in line with technological advances and the growing needs of healthcare professionals.

Today, the system integrates data from hospital management, pharmacy, laboratory, nursing, and emergency services, enabling real-time cross-analysis essential for infection prevention and clinical decision-making.

On 19 March, First upgraded the platform, providing the ULSAM GCL-PPCIRA team with the latest version, including the HEPIC PAPA module (support for antibiotic prescribing), HEPIC Timeline (temporal visualization of patient clinical data), and HEPIC Analytics (advanced indicators on hospital infection, antibiotic consumption, and geospatial analysis).

According to Dr. Sónia Duarte Rocha, Director of GCL-PPCIRA at ULSAM, HEPIC is a core technological tool for the team. The adoption of the PAPA module will replace paper-based surveillance, enabling real-time monitoring of antimicrobial therapy and more immediate feedback to prescribing physicians, supporting improved prescribing practices.

Overall, HEPIC has become a comprehensive, multi-system platform that supports clinical decision-making, enhances patient safety, and contributes to reducing hospital infection rates through data-driven insights.