Thong Nhat General Hospital deploys electronic medical records

On the morning of August 14, Thong Nhat General Hospital, located in Long Binh Ward, Dong Nai Province, held a ceremony to officially announce the launch of its electronic medical records (EMR) system. This concurrence marks the second hospital in Dong Nai to implement EMR, following Long Khanh Regional General Hospital, which introduced the system in 2020.

Leaders of the Dong Nai Province Department of Health present flowers to congratulate Thong Nhat General Hospital. Photo: Thanh Tam

Accordingly, EMR is deployed throughout all medical examination and treatment activities at the hospital. The system allows for the creation, updating, signing, storage, and exploitation of medical records entirely in a digital environment. At the same time, it is integrated with testing systems, diagnostic imaging, pharmacies, and health insurance information portals.

Delegates perform the button-pressing ceremony to deploy electronic medical records. Photo: Thanh Tam

The application of EMR brings many benefits. It helps doctors quickly look up patient information, reduces waiting time, and reduces administrative procedures. Data is stored safely, securely, and easily retrieved when needed. In addition, it increases transparency in insurance payments and supports analysis and statistics for management and scientific research. Nurses also do not need to record medical records as much as before, and have more time to care for patients. In particular, implementing EMR will help hospitals reduce printing costs, purchasing films, forms, etc., for medical examinations and treatment, as compared to using paper medical records.

Speaking at the ceremony, Director of Dong Nai Provincial Department of Health, Do Thi Nguyen, emphasized: The implementation of EMR at Thong Nhat General Hospital marks a step forward in the digital transformation of Dong Nai's health sector, contributing to realizing the goal of improving the quality of health care for people in the digital age.

Dong Nai's health sector is making efforts to deploy EMR at 29 affiliated medical facilities in the province (23 units have been funded with more than 39.4 billion VND). The goal is to complete on schedule before September 30, 2025, as directed by the Government and the Ministry of Health.

The leaders of the Department of Health requested Thong Nhat General Hospital to establish a synchronized operating mechanism, conduct regular infrastructure maintenance, and ensure safety and information security. The hospital's EMR implementation steering committee should operate under the principle of "clear personnel, clear tasks, clear timelines, clear results, and clear responsibilities", hold regular briefings, and promptly report any difficulties to the Department of Health. At the same time, it should share experiences and provide technical support to other units, contributing to the Dong Nai health sector's goal of achieving digital transformation.

By Hanh Dung

Translated by Hong Van - Minho