Korea to link medical records of 8 million patients to MyHealthway

The South Korean government aims to streamline access to the personal medical records of more than eight million patients in tertiary general hospitals through a single platform starting next year.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

My Healthway allows Koreans to view their medical records in a standardized format from different hospitals. It also allows hospitals to securely access their information with permission. The platform stores 113 types of health data, including operation reports and pathology test results.

Since the platform’s launch in September Last year, 860 healthcare institutions were connected to the platform, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). Patient data from another 144 hospitals and clinics will go live on MyHealthway next September, completing the first phase of onboarding.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

In a press release, the MOHW, together with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, said that 21 additional tertiary hospitals will connect their patients’ medical records to MyHealthway as part of the second round of onboarding. This round, which began in August this year and ends in July next year, aims to connect 259 additional medical institutions.

The MOHW noted that tertiary general hospitals have extensive and detailed medical records of approximately 8.3 million patients, so their participation in the project is crucial to promote and expand MyHealthway.

A total of 1,263 tertiary general hospitals, general hospitals and MyHealthway clinics are expected to connect their patients’ medical records next year.

THE BIGGER TREND

MyHealthway is part of the Korean government’s larger Digital Platform Government initiative and was launched after a pilot with 245 medical institutions in 2022. Approximately US$9 million was set aside in the 2024 budget for its rollout.