Previously, residents visiting different hospitals often needed to install separate applications or carry paper medical records, which were easily lost.

On 5/5, Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, announced a collaborative effort with the Ho Chi Minh City Police, the Department of Science and Technology, and the City Digital Transformation Center. They have agreed to consolidate all electronic health records onto a single platform: the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Citizen Application.

This plan assigns each citizen a unique digital health record, directly linked to their personal identification code. All medical data, including diagnoses, test results, prescriptions, and screening history, will be funneled into this application when individuals visit health stations, city hospitals, or participate in health screening programs. Residents can access this information anytime via their phones, enabling them to proactively manage their health rather than depending on memory or paper files.

The application also addresses concerns about managing family members' health. It allows users to create profiles for dependents, enabling parents to easily store and track the medical and vaccination history of their young children or elderly relatives who require legal representation, all within their own accounts.

Authenticating through VNeID, the application ensures data accuracy and security, alleviating concerns about personal medical data privacy. Data is also interconnected across healthcare facilities. This means residents will not need to repeat their medical history or disclose drug allergies when transferring between hospitals. Doctors will have comprehensive information for more precise treatment, reducing the need for redundant, time-consuming, and costly tests.

Interface of the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Citizen Application. *Photo: Huy Duc*

According to Mr. Thuong, integrating health records into the Digital Citizen Application represents more than a technological leap. It aims to transform public health habits, moving from a reactive "treat when sick" approach to proactive, lifelong health monitoring, prevention, and management, all conveniently accessible via a smartphone.

The Ho Chi Minh City Digital Citizen Application, launched on 14/11/2024, identifies residents through their VNeID accounts. It offers a range of features, such as social news, maps, lookup services, urgent alerts, a feedback channel via hotline 1022, the ability to check children's academic results, management of elderly health information, and a compilation of holiday events. To install, users can search for and download the "Cong Dan So TPHCM" application on Google Play for Android devices and the App Store for iOS devices.

Le Phuong