Removing "barriers" in implementing electronic medical records

On March 14, 2025, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 07/CT-TTg on promoting the implementation of the Project on developing applications of population data, identification and electronic authentication to serve national digital transformation in the period of 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030 in ministries, branches and localities in 2025 and the following years. In particular, the Ministry of Health is assigned to direct and urge 100% of hospitals nationwide to deploy electronic medical records, connect data between district and provincial hospitals of localities with hospitals under the Ministry of Health, take advantage of connected and interconnected data to reduce testing for people, to be completed in September 2025.

Ha Tinh medical facilities are gradually implementing electronic medical records under the direction of the Prime Minister.

On that basis, the Ministry of Health has deployed a plan to implement electronic medical records to all medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide. However, during the implementation process, medical facilities are facing many barriers.

As a leading medical facility, the Provincial General Hospital has continuously applied IT and digital transformation to improve the quality of management and medical examination and treatment. The hospital has early deployed hospital management software (HIS), laboratory management software (LIS), image archiving and transmission software system (PACS)... In addition, the hospital also early deployed a smart Kiosk system to serve people coming to get a medical examination number; organize health insurance medical examination and treatment using citizen identification cards or VNEiD applications...

HIS, LIS, PACS software are the foundation for hospitals to deploy electronic medical records, however, they need to be upgraded to meet the requirements. At the same time, hospitals need to digitize medical records, deploy digital signatures, purchase personal computer systems, injection booths, server systems, etc.

Electronic medical records will help doctors save time and effort by not having to write medical records on paper as is currently the case.

Dr. Le Ngoc Thanh - Deputy Director of the Provincial General Hospital said: “One of the biggest difficulties at present is that the detailed regulations on purchasing and bidding for equipment for electronic medical records, especially software, are not complete. There are no technical and economic standards for price setting, so determining the price is very difficult. In addition, the cost of implementing electronic medical records is very high, while the hospital is operating under an autonomous mechanism, so it will face many difficulties in terms of resources if it does not receive support from the budget.”

At Thach Ha District Medical Center, based on the Prime Minister's directive, the unit quickly implemented the construction of an electronic medical record project. The advantage is that the center has a fairly synchronous infrastructure system to serve the project implementation with a server system including: HIS and LIS data servers, PACS image servers, web servers; backup system, San Storege device storage... However, to build an electronic medical record, the center must upgrade the software system, invest in a personal computer system, injection booths and many other IT infrastructures.

Thach Ha District Medical Center early deploys PACS image archiving and transmission software.

Doctor Nguyen The Phiet - Director of Thach Ha District Medical Center said: "Up to now, medical facilities have not received specific instructions on funding sources for implementing electronic medical records. In addition, current medical service prices do not include IT costs, while the cost of building and maintaining electronic medical records software is very high. The center is a self-governing unit of group II, so it has difficulty in investing in upgrading IT equipment and machinery systems. Therefore, it requires support and investment of resources from the budget."

Currently, other medical facilities have also started to review their facilities and infrastructure and implement the electronic medical records project. One of the common difficulties that medical facilities in Ha Tinh are facing is still the source of investment costs.

To ensure the completion of the implementation of electronic medical records before September 30, the Department of Health has developed a specific roadmap. Accordingly, from April to June, the unit will organize a conference to deploy electronic medical records and the contents of Project 06 for the units. At the same time, complete the survey and assessment of the implementation capacity at all units. Facilities that do not have sufficient IT infrastructure must make additional procurement plans to complete the preparation work to organize the implementation of electronic medical records. In July and August 2025, a trial run of the electronic medical records system will be organized at 100% of medical facilities at the district level and above. By September 2025, electronic medical records will be applied simultaneously, ensuring that each facility stores and exploits medical records completely electronically, meeting the criteria for digitalization of the health sector.

Medical staff guide people to get automatic medical examination form.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dung - Deputy Head of the Medical Affairs Department (Department of Health) said: "The Department has requested medical facilities to develop a specific roadmap, clearly assigning responsibilities from the board of directors to specialized departments, ensuring no overlap or delay. Coordinate with technology enterprises to train human resources, upgrade information security systems and conduct testing according to the set schedule.

Direct units to review technical infrastructure, HIS, PACS system, LIS... to ensure that they meet the technical criteria for electronic medical records according to Circular 46/2018/TT-BYT and Circular 54/2017/TT-BYT. Regarding difficulties in investment costs, the most important issue is that the Ministry of Health needs to soon study the structure of IT infrastructure investment costs in medical service prices to help medical facilities deploy electronic medical records in a sustainable and effective manner."

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/thao-go-rao-can-trong-thuc-hien-benh-an-dien-tu-post286394.html