Digitalize Hospitals: INFOGRAPHIC The Role and Strategy for Digitizing Paper-Based Medical Records in Vietnam by 2023 - DrAid.ai

Ready to step into the future of healthcare? Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are not just a trend, they're a game-changer! Being implemented across hospitals and medical facilities, EMRs are revolutionizing the way we connect infrastructure systems and health data warehouses, enhancing both offline and tele medical examination and treatment environments. This is the foundation of smart hospitals and a new era of proactive health management. But what exactly are EMRs? Are they a must-have in Vietnam? And why should we say goodbye to paper medical records? Let's dive into the exciting world of EMRs and explore the process of digitizing paper medical records in Vietnam with DrAid.ai. Buckle up, the future of healthcare is here! 

What is EMR? 

The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is a digital version of the traditional paper-based medical record, which recorded, displayed, and stored patients’ medical history electronically, with legal basis and functionality equivalent to paper records. Everyone has an electronic health record that is monitored and stored for life.  

EMR helps identify patients so that doctors and medical facilities can continuously monitor the entire treatment process; at the same time, it compiles a comprehensive, detailed clinical data warehouse, supporting doctors and medical staff in making accurate clinical decisions.  

EMR is a combination of a vast amount of patient data, including:  

• HIS (Hospital Information System) 
• LIS (Laboratory Information System) 
• RIS (Radiology Information System) 
• PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System)

Is EMR Mandatory in Vietnam? 

2023 is a pivotal year for the the first phase of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) transition and deployment in Vietnam. As of August 2023, 44 out of 1400 hospitals nationwide have an integrated EMR app with other features like scheduling medical appointments and re-examinations. Some hospitals can even provide outpatient clinical results through the application. 

From 2024 onwards until the end of 2028, the MOH (Ministry of Health) proposes that all hospitals nationwide must implement EMR. Specifically, Circular 46/2018/TT-BYT, effective from March 1, 2019, has set out a roadmap for the implementation of EMR divided into two phases as follows:  

Phase from 2019 - 2023

• First-class medical examination and treatment facilities proactively upgrade their IT systems to implement EMR as prescribed;  
• Other medical examination and treatment facilities are based on their actual needs and capabilities to prepare the necessary conditions and implement EMR when meeting the requirements as prescribed in this Circular. 

Phase from 2024 - 2028

• All medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide must implement EMR;  
• In case a medical examination and treatment facility has not been able to implement, it must report to the directly managing authority, stating the reasons, the roadmap for implementing EMR but must be completed before Dec 31, 2030. 

12 inadequacies of non-EMR 

In today's fast-paced digital era, not having Electronic Medical Records (EMR) can cause a lot of problems in healthcare. Here's how it affects different people: 

For Patients 

• Scattered Health Information: Important medical and test results are all over the place, making it hard for doctors to give proper care. 
• Missing Medical Histories: Patients can't easily keep track of their health history, which is important for taking care of themselves. 
• Trouble in Emergencies: In urgent situations or when they forget their records, doctors can't quickly see what treatment they need. 
• Lots of Paperwork: Patients have to deal with a ton of paperwork, like tes results and reports from doctor visits. 
• Moving Between Doctors: Going between different healthcare places is difficult, which can mess up their care. 

For Doctors

• No Automation, Lack of Medical Record Organization - Work is Harder: Difficulty in streamlining and automating work processes. 
• Less Information for Clinical Decisions and more: Not having access to patient histories makes it harder to diagnose, plan treatment, and prevent health problems. 

For Hospitals

• No Easy Electronic Prescriptions: They can't easily use electronic prescriptions, which means more manual work and mistakes. 
• Inability to Seamlessly Calculate Hospital Fees: Figuring out hospital fees and managing money becomes complicated. 
• Quality Concerns: It’s hard to track the clinical and operational quality  
• Physical Storage Overloads: They still need lots of physical space to store records. 
• Varying Standards between Hospitals: There's no easy way for different healthcare places to work together and share information. 

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