The South Korean government is looking to simplify access to personal health records of more than eight million patients at tertiary general hospitals on a single platform next year.
WHAT IS IT
My Healthway allows South Koreans to view their medical records in a standardized format from multiple hospitals. It also allows hospitals to securely access their information with their consent. The platform stores 113 types of health data, including surgical reports and pathology test results.
Since the platform’s launch in September Last year, 860 medical institutions were linked to the platform, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). Patient data from another 144 hospitals and clinics will be added to MyHealthway by September, completing the first phase of the integration.
WHY IT MATTERS
In a press release, the MOHW, together with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, said 21 more tertiary hospitals will connect patient health records to MyHealthway as part of the second round of integration. This round, which will begin in August this year and end in July next year, aims to connect an additional 259 medical facilities.
MOHW noted that tertiary general hospitals maintain detailed and extensive medical records of about 8.3 million patients. Therefore, their participation in this project is crucial in promoting and expanding MyHealthway.
By next year, MyHealthway expects to have a total of 1,263 general hospitals, polyclinics and clinics connecting patient health records.
THE BIGGER TREND
As part of the South Korean government’s larger Digital Platform Government initiative, MyHealthway is set to be rolled out after a pilot at 245 medical facilities in 2022. About $9 million has been earmarked for the rollout in the 2024 budget.
