Electronic Health Record Sharing System records millionth patient registrant at third anniversary

     Over one million members of the public had registered with the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS) by today (March 5) as the system marks its third anniversary this month.

     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, "Currently, over 1 700 healthcare providers (HCPs) from the public and private sectors, including the Hospital Authority (HA), the Department of Health, all 12 private hospitals in the territory as well as various types of clinics, elderly homes and welfare organisations have joined the eHRSS. Over 47 000 user accounts have been created for the healthcare professionals working in these HCPs to access the eHRSS to facilitate their provision of healthcare services to patients.

     "In addition to community support, the participation of the healthcare sector is also important for the continuous development of the eHRSS. Drawing on the successful experience of the HA in developing its Clinical Management System (CMS), the Government has engaged the HA as the technical agency to help develop the electronic health record sharing platform core infrastructure, as well as applications such as the CMS Adaptation Modules and the CMS On-ramp," he said.

     Launched in March 2016, the territory-wide eHRSS is a secure information sharing platform which allows registered HCPs in the public and private sectors, with patients' consent, to view and upload their electronic health records (eHRs) for healthcare purposes.

     Stage Two Development of the eHRSS is now underway. Major work areas include expansion of the sharable scope to cover Chinese medicine information and radiological images; development of a "Patient Portal" as Hong Kong's public health portal to assist the public in the management of their own health; and continuous enhancement of the system's security and privacy protection. It is expected that the above tasks will be completed in phases by end-2022.

     The eHRSS has been established with the aim of improving continuity of patient care, promoting public-private collaboration and enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. The eHRSS helps keep lifelong eHRs for participants, provides timely and accurate information for healthcare services, and minimises duplicated tests and treatment.

     Members of the public and HCPs are welcome to join the eHRSS to enjoy the benefits of eHR sharing. Please visit the dedicated website (www.ehealth.gov.hk) to register and obtain more information about the eHRSS.