Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan responded to the proposal to abolish the procedure of purchasing paper medical records.

Sending opinions to the sectors after the 7th session of the 15th National Assembly, voters of Dong Nai province reflected that every time they go to a hospital at all levels, they have to buy a new medical examination book, which is "very wasteful", while the doctor does not write in the book but prints out the prescription and instructions from the computer. Therefore, voters recommended that the Ministry of Health abolish this procedure because hospitals have now become technologically advanced and printed out by computer.

Regarding this issue, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that in May, the Ministry of Health issued the Electronic Health Book for integration on the VneID application. In September, the Ministry issued the Pilot Guidelines for the implementation of the Electronic Health Book for integration on the VNeID application and other relevant documents to direct and guide units in implementation.

VNeID electronic health book is used for all public and private medical examination and treatment facilities, including outpatient, inpatient, and remote medical examination and treatment.

The Ministry of Health has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam Social Security, Hanoi People's Committee and other units to pilot the Electronic Health Book for integration on the VNeID application in Hanoi. The Ministry of Health is implementing in 8 provinces and cities; it is expected to organize a conference to deploy the Electronic Health Book for integration on the VNeID application nationwide in October.

"On that basis, the Ministry of Health will complete regulations to eliminate medical examination books and replace them with electronic health books integrated on the VneID application," said Minister Dao Hong Lan.

Regarding the process of using the VNeID electronic health book when going to see a doctor, the Ministry of Health outlines the following 5 steps:

- Step 1. Register and create an account, authenticate: people need to install the VNeID application and have authenticated level 2 identification, integrated health insurance card information (if any). Log in to the VNeID application and access the "Electronic Health Book" application, read the terms and click "Agree to use the VNeID Electronic Health Book application". Fill in all personal information such as name, date of birth, address, phone number, and other basic medical information.

- Step 2. When going for medical examination and treatment, if you have a VNeID electronic health book, please present the VNeID health book instead of the paper book.

- Step 3. Medical examination and treatment facilities receive information in the VNeID electronic health book. Doctors and medical staff use the information in this book to exploit administrative information and make decisions to support diagnosis and treatment.

- Step 4. Record and communicate medical examination and treatment results.

- Step 5. Log out of the application.

Step by step application of electronic referral papers and electronic re-examination appointment papers

Dong Nai voters also said that according to current regulations, patients who go to higher-level hospitals for examination and treatment must go through the transfer procedures, causing difficulties. There are cases where treatment at higher-level hospitals has stabilized and requires periodic follow-up examinations, but patients still have to go through the transfer procedures from the district health center to the provincial or central hospital. Applying for a transfer procedure is still complicated, especially for patients in remote areas. Voters recommend that the Ministry of Health consider simplifying the procedures for transferring medical examination and treatment.

The Minister of Health said that referral papers play an important role in reducing overload at central hospitals, avoiding affecting the quality of treatment and imbalance in the management of the Health Insurance Fund. Therefore, the Minister of Health "hopes that voters understand and support" this regulation.

Ms. Lan added that in order to reform procedures and facilitate patients, in the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, the Ministry of Health proposed that for some rare diseases, serious diseases, and diseases requiring high-tech treatment, patients can go to a higher-level facility for examination without having to go through hospital transfer procedures.

For some chronic diseases, patients will be managed, monitored and given specialized drugs as at a higher level, helping patients to be treated conveniently and enjoy benefits without having to be transferred to a higher level. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is gradually applying electronic referral papers and electronic re-examination appointment papers to help patients receive convenient and timely treatment.