Effective application and deployment of smart healthcare systems

During the 2020-2025 term, the Quang Ninh Health sector has made great strides in applying information technology, linking digital transformation with the construction of a smart healthcare system. Many technological solutions such as electronic medical records, electronic health records, centralized data management systems, cashless hospital payment, online operations, etc. have been put into practice, contributing to the construction of a modern, smart healthcare system, meeting the increasing health care needs of the people.

Social workers at Bai Chay Hospital guide people to register for medical examination on the smart kiosk system.

Implementing Project 06 of the Government and Resolution 57 of the Politburo, the Quang Ninh Health sector has promptly completed the Steering Committee for digital transformation, issued a series of plans and directives; at the same time, stepped up propaganda so that medical staff and people can access and effectively use digital utilities.

To date, the entire sector has completed the construction and connection of the national health database of nearly 100% of the people in the province. Digital infrastructure has been invested synchronously with 100% of provincial and grassroots medical examination and treatment facilities connected to the specialized data transmission network of the Party and State, deploying electronic document management systems, digital signatures, and video conferencing from the provincial to grassroots levels. 100% of administrative procedures in the health sector have been provided online. Administrative procedures have been reduced by at least 20% of time and 20% of costs for people, limiting overlapping documents, improving transparency and patient satisfaction.

In addition, many technological applications have really entered life, bringing practical benefits to people. Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh (Ha Lam ward) shared: “I have been periodically treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease since 2020 at the Provincial General Hospital. Over the past 4 years, I have not had to keep any documents, but all medical records and administrative documents have been digitized and stored on the hospital's software system. When I go for a re-examination, all the information is available, which is very convenient.”

As a pioneer in digital transformation, since 2020, the Provincial General Hospital has met the criteria for applying electronic medical records. Since then, the hospital has continued to upgrade the system, expand applications in patient management and service, contributing to improving the quality of medical examination and treatment.

With thousands of patients coming for medical examination and treatment every day, the electronic medical record system helps connect all departments and rooms at the Provincial General Hospital. The quick return of results, accurate and continuous information helps doctors make timely diagnoses and treatment regimens. Master, Doctor Phan Thanh Nghia, Head of the Department of Respiratory and Occupational Diseases, said: “Previously, medical records were recorded manually, wasting time and money. Now that information is stored on software, we can manage patients better, reduce procedures, and spend more time directly with patients. Continuous digital records also help doctors monitor the disease condition in the long term, improving treatment effectiveness.”

Spinal surgery for a patient at the Provincial General Hospital.

Quang Ninh is the leading locality in the country in implementing electronic medical records, with 21/21 public medical facilities and 1 private facility (Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital) having completed the implementation since 2024. This result helps the province complete the provincial target 1 year ahead of schedule and the Ministry of Health's target 3 years ahead of schedule.

According to the Ministry of Health, electronic medical records are considered the core and starting point for all digital transformation efforts in the healthcare sector. Electronic medical records are digital versions of medical records, recorded, displayed and stored electronically. All information on professional processes, medical orders, medical history, and treatment progress of patients are digitized, with standardized, seamless data and procedures that minimize the use of paperwork.

In addition to electronic medical records, medical examination and treatment facilities in the province also apply many digital technology utilities to improve service processes and support patients. Patients make medical examination appointments and receive results online via phone, website, zalo; make cashless hospital fee payments using many methods such as POS cards, bank transfers, static QR codes, dynamic QR codes; register for medical examination using citizen identification cards, electronic health insurance card applications VssID, VneID; register for medical examination using smart kiosks... In addition, administrative procedures such as driver's health certificates, death certificates, referral papers, re-examination appointment papers... have been linked with the national database on public services and residents.

People register for medical examination with chip-embedded citizen identification cards at Dong Trieu Medical Center.

Many modern technologies are applied to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment. Notably, the application of RAPID artificial intelligence software in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral stroke at the Provincial General Hospital. The software helps doctors make accurate predictions about the condition of the disease, helping patients have timely and effective treatment measures, reducing sequelae.

The industry also effectively maintains the Vtelehealth and Telemedicine remote medical examination and treatment system, with more than 500 technical transfer sessions each year, connecting with the central level for consultation and training, gradually narrowing the professional gap between levels, bringing practical benefits to patients. The industry also continues to direct units to promote the application of artificial intelligence software, Chatbot applications (Chat GPT, Deepseek, Copilot...) in supporting suggestions for paraclinical diagnosis, suggesting personalized treatment regimens for patients, summarizing medical records at a number of medical facilities.

Thanks to the breakthrough in smart medical applications, Quang Ninh serves about 3 million medical examinations and nearly 400,000 inpatient treatments each year. The referral rate of the whole province by the end of 2024 will be only 3.57%, the lowest in the Red River Delta and among the lowest in the country. Currently, nearly 50% of the techniques of the central level have been performed at the provincial level. In particular, Quang Ninh has successfully implemented organ transplants, an important step forward in the development of modern medicine in the locality.

MRI scan for patients at Tien Yen Medical Center.

Entering the 2025-2030 term, the Quang Ninh Health sector aims to build a fair, high-quality, efficient and integrated health system. To realize that goal, the sector is determined to continue to take the lead in applying digital technology, focusing on completing the electronic health records of the entire population, integrating data between preventive medicine, medical examination and treatment, primary health care, insurance and residents. At the same time, the sector will develop a remote medical examination and treatment platform, proactive health consultation in the community; build a smart hospital model on a digital platform, towards personalizing health care. At the same time, it is focusing on training and improving digital capacity for medical staff, especially at the grassroots level.

Nguyen Hoa

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/ung-dung-va-trien-khai-hieu-qua-he-thong-y-te-thong-minh-3373132.html