More private-sector buy-in is needed to enhance the eHealth system

The benefits of storing medical records on a centralised digital platform, thereby providing easy access for health professionals and patients, have long been recognised. Hong Kong was quick off the mark when it launched the citywide eHealth system in 2016, one of the first of its kind in Asia. Use of the platform has grown, with 80 per cent of residents and 82 per cent of doctors now registered. But there is still much progress to be made.\nThe launch of a programme providing subsidies to private doctors to encourage them to link their clinical management systems to the platform could help resolve one of the biggest problems.\nSixty per cent of access to the centralised system is sought by private practitioners. But it is very disappointing that only 1 per cent of the records uploaded are from the private sector. The huge gap must be narrowed. Private doctors will receive a subsidy of HK$6,000 (US$772) over 12 months to adopt or adapt systems to make them compatible with eHealth. They should take advantage of the scheme.\nTechnical issues have been one of the largest obstacles to greater use of eHealth by the private sector. The government started a programme to provide support last year. But the reluctance of patients to give consent to private practitioners for their records to be uploaded is another problem. Privacy concerns are one main reason. Every effort must be made to ensure that the eHealth system is watertight and to offer reassurance to the public so people feel more comfortable with the idea of doctors sharing their documents on the platform.\nThere is also a need for a cultural change. Some private doctors still regard their patients’ medical records as assets to be kept to themselves. This mindset must not persist. Keeping records in one easily accessible place clearly enhances the standard and efficiency of healthcare services, ensuring practitioners have the information needed for diagnosis and treatment. It prevents the costly duplication of prescriptions and tests – especially important in Hong Kong where so many switch between the public and private sectors.\nA five-year HK$1.4 billion plan, first announced in the 2023 policy address, aims to significantly expand the eHealth system, including for cross-border services. This is a move in the right direction. It is a valuable element in boosting primary care and forging closer links between the public and private sectors.\nPrincipal Assistant Secretary for Health Erica Lam Bing-bing, stressing that records can only be accessed with authorisation, described eHealth as being like a bank account. Greater participation by private doctors could ensure the scheme is credited with helping transform the city’s health system.\n