Patient records of private hospitals will be added to the National Electronic Health Record by 2025

SINGAPORE – By 2025, all nine private hospitals in Singapore will transfer their patients’ health records to a national data repository to help doctors decide on the most effective treatment for patients and eliminate unnecessary repeat testing.

This existing repository, called the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system, consolidates each patient’s diagnoses, medications, laboratory test results, and drug allergies.

While all public hospitals, which cover 90 percent of the hospital workload in the country, currently contribute to NEHR, private hospitals are not yet included in this project.

Announcing the expansion of NEHR on November 9, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: “Patients, especially those with chronic or complex conditions, often visit multiple clinicians. Historically, electronic medical records have been stored within individual healthcare providers, leading to fragmentation of care.” “Why did it happen?”

“Once it is noted that you have a drug allergy, you reduce the likelihood that the doctor will prescribe (prescribe) you a medication that you may be allergic to. “We can also eliminate frustrating repeat testing.”

Mr Ong was speaking at the 20th anniversary of the Singapore Population Health Studies cohort, where he also touted how healthcare is being made more personalized for patients.

The Ministry recently consulted with all private hospitals that support joining NEHR, and some hospitals have started working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to prepare their digital systems for the central data repository.

Mr Ong said a new law mandating nationwide contributions to the NEHR was expected to be introduced in early 2025.

Under the new Health Information Act, all licensed healthcare providers and MOH-certified care providers, such as community pharmacists, will be required to contribute data to NEHR.

Polyclinics and private general practitioner clinics Healthier SG program They are already in the NEHR and make up about 70 percent of primary care providers.

The bill will also create a framework to govern the secure collection, access, use and sharing of health information across the healthcare ecosystem, MOH said in a statement.

Healthcare providers should take measures to protect health data through frequent and timely updates of systems and software and equip staff with practices to maintain cybersecurity. Hospitals and clinics are also required to report cybersecurity incidents and data breaches.

Mr Ong said patients had the option to opt out of having their basic medical data shared in the national database.

Starting at the end of November, those enrolled in Healthy SG will be able to benefit from more personalized health plans, such as more specific diet and exercise recommendations.

“For example, your doctor may recommend that you do aerobic activity at a certain intensity, frequency and duration. If your doctor makes dietary recommendations, he or she will highlight which foods you should limit and healthier alternatives you can choose,” said Mr Ong, speaking at the NUS Tahir Foundation Building on November 9.