Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health (MoH) has identified the implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) as a top priority task, with heads of agencies and units bearing comprehensive responsibility for this work. All hospitals and inpatient institutions nationwide are required to complete the rollout by September 2025.
VietnamPlus interviewed Dr Ha Anh Duc, Director of the MoH’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management regarding the acceleration of EMR deployment and data interoperability, aiming to develop a smart hospital model.
Data interoperability across entire sector
Reporter: Could you please share how the MoH is implementing solutions to complete the electronic medical records system?
Dr Ha Anh Duc: On March, 14, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 07/CT-TTg on accelerating population data applications, electronic identification, and authentication across ministries, sectors, and cities to serve national digital transformation for 2022–2025, with a vision to 2030.
In mid-March 2025, the MoH also issued a document promoting digital transformation and implementing Project 06 across agencies within the health sector, requiring leaders to lead by example, pioneering changes in awareness and methodology regarding digital transformation.
Regarding the EMR implementation, the Ministry’s leadership and its affiliated units are decisively enforcing the Government’s directive. The Department of Science, Technology and Training, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, and the National Health Information Centre are three units collaborating to execute this mission.
Just over a week ago, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management advised the ministry’s leaders to sign off on a document listing interlinked clinical laboratory tests with unique identifiers for each test type; this list aligns with over 90% of international standards.
This is the first opportunity to ensure nationwide data interoperability. With this list, all medical facilities applying electronic medical records can link data with one another.
Next is the standardisation of clinical test categories. Currently, there are hundreds, even thousands, of different clinical service categories. Our department is aggressively working to finalise and submit the official list by the end of May, to gradually enable the EMR project timeline to be viable by September.
Reporter: How will the MoH roll out electronic medical records uniformly?
Dr Ha Anh Duc: The Ministry will deploy EMRs simultaneously at specialist and top-tier hospitals, based on a unified framework guideline for all hospitals. Secondly, it will cover all specialties, from small departments to major specialist hospitals. Each hospital will implement according to its practical conditions, aiming ultimately for full sector-wide data interoperability.
Moreover, to enable data linkage, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management must develop clinical and subclinical test catalogues and related categories within medical records. EMRs must use open-source code so hospitals can add further modules as needed.
Currently, 141 hospitals applying EMRs have their own frameworks; standardisation is necessary and these hospitals already possess their respective systems. Hospitals will apply the framework flexibly based on their capacity.
Hospitals’ EMR management software may be from different providers, but changing software must not affect data interoperability between hospitals. These principles form the basis of our advice to Ministry leadership for EMR implementation.
The ministry is guiding localities and hospitals to ensure progress. The largest and most comprehensive EMR model nationwide currently belongs to the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, which we use as a standard template for other hospitals.
Nationwide, there are about 3,000 laboratories, but only around 10% have been standardised so far. Therefore, our upcoming task is to accelerate the standardisation of laboratories to ensure test results are mutually recognised between hospitals.
Shared laboratory testing
Reporter: Based on actual EMR deployment at hospitals, what benefits has the electronic medical record system brought?
Dr Ha Anh Duc: In practice, EMRs bring multiple benefits.
Firstly, financial efficiency: this policy will save significant costs. Electronic records store patient data throughout their lifetime, reducing the need for repeated printing.
Secondly, with interlinked data across hospitals, shared test results mean patients do not have to redo tests ordered by doctors at every visit.
Thirdly, regarding imaging data taken at district-level facilities, if standards are met, these can be reused at central hospitals. Patients will save millions to tens of millions of Vietnamese dong otherwise spent on repeated imaging at higher-level facilities. These are the financial advantages of EMRs.
From a professional standpoint, doctors reviewing EMRs can examine the entire patient history, supporting personalised treatment and improving diagnostic and treatment quality. Instead of asking patients repeatedly about their medical history at every appointment, doctors simply access the patient’s ID code to see prior diagnoses, treatments, medications, and hospitalisation periods.
Importantly, EMRs also lay the groundwork for applying artificial intelligence (AI) and building large databases (Big Data) to enhance treatment effectiveness and hospital management.
Reporter: Thank you very much./.
