18 December, 2017
The National Electronic Health Record ("NEHR") was launched in 2011 as a national repository of medical information. The use of NEHR aimed to enable healthcare providers to provide more seamless treatment and to save money for patients.
However, private healthcare providers have been slow in adopting use of the NEHR. Despite the fact that a quarter of all private healthcare providers can access the NEHR and view patient records, only 3 per cent actually contribute to the scheme.
As a result, the MOH is looking to make it mandatory for all healthcare providers to upload data to the NEHR.
This would mean that full details of a person's medical history will be reflected in this national electronic repository. Details such as a person's medical history, visits to doctors, chronic medication, allergies and vaccination records will be available in the NEHR.
To this end, the MOH will allow early adopters (i.e. those who contribute data by June 2019) to claim a one-off amount to offset the costs of upgrading their systems. MOH will also organise workshops to help doctors understand the new requirements and manage the electronic services.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong noted that sharing of medical information is important as patients are increasingly visiting various healthcare professionals for multiple conditions. All healthcare providers must contribute to the NEHR to prevent gaps in a person's medical history.
For more information, you can read the full article here.
For further information, please contact:
Andy Leck, Principal, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow
andy.leck@bakermckenzie.com
