Health facilities across Vietnam under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health are required to apply electronic health records from March 1, according to a circular issued by the ministry.The circular authorizes the creation, use and management of electronic medical records. Each patient will be granted a code for storing the results of medical examination and treatment at hospitals.
A patient is treated at Saint Paul Hospital in Hanoi. Photo: Cong Hung
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The management of electronic health records must comply with the regulations on personal information protection. Hospitals and clinics are allowed to use and store electronic medical records in lieu of paper health files when meeting the requirements stipulated in the circular.
Hospitals must ensure personal information privacy as stated in the Law on Cyber Information Security and update the records no later than 12 hours after patients have health checks or are hospitalized. In case a check-up lasts more than 12 hours or a technical problem occurs, hospital staff will have no more than 24 hours to record the update.
The application of electronic medical records is divided into two phases. From 2019 to 2023, first-class hospitals must upgrade their systems to apply the technology. Other facilities should make preparations to get ready for the application. From 2024 to 2028, all health care facilities across the country will have to replace paper medical records with electronic ones.
