Da Nang is promoting digital transformation in medical examination and treatment, with electronic medical records as the nucleus. The goal is that by October 30, 2026, hospitals must announce the completion of electronic medical records in the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation.
At Da Nang Hospital, people can book appointments via phone, monitor waiting times, look up test results, prescriptions and treatment costs. Many care procedures, IV fluids, and blood transfusions have also been put into the electronic environment.
These changes show that the shape of a paperless hospital is gradually becoming clearer.
But Da Nang is not the only locality targeting hospitals without papers.
Previously, Thai Nguyen had completed the deployment of electronic medical records at public health facilities; Quang Ninh was one of the leading localities; Nghe An, Vinh Long, Lao Cai also deployed synchronously at hospitals. In Hue, Hue Central Hospital and some medical facilities have officially put electronic medical records into operation.
Thus, paperless hospitals are no longer a pilot model of a few pioneering units but are becoming a common requirement of the health system.
However, for hospitals, transferring records from paper to the electronic environment is the foundation. The greater value of digital transformation lies in the ability to connect, share and reuse data for medical examination and treatment.
For example, a person who has had tests or CT scans in Da Nang, when transferred to a hospital in Hue, Hanoi or another locality, needs to continue to use valid results.
Doctors at the receiving facility also need to be able to access necessary information according to their authority and with the consent of the patient.
If the data is only stored in the separate system of each hospital, patients may still have to re-declare their medical history, redo tests or bring records when transferred. At that time, medical records have been digitized, but the journey of medical examination and treatment is still not really smooth.
Therefore, along with requiring medical examination and treatment facilities to complete electronic medical records, the health sector needs to accelerate the development of common data standards.
Different software must be able to connect, "understand" and exchange data with each other, avoiding the situation where each hospital forms a closed information warehouse.
The transition process must also not leave behind people who are not proficient in technology.
Elderly people, people who do not use smartphones or live in difficult areas still need direct guidance and support.
Technology must open up more paths to access medical services, not become a new procedure that causes difficulties for patients.
According to the plan of the Ministry of Health, by the end of 2026, medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide must complete the implementation of electronic medical records.
This is an important condition for forming a data-based healthcare system. But the destination is not just hospitals without paper records.
The destination must be that each patient information only needs to be provided once, each valuable result can be used many times and the data truly accompanies the patient throughout the healthcare journey.
