Nearly 900 hospitals have implemented electronic medical records.

Nearly 900 hospitals nationwide have officially implemented electronic medical records (EMR), marking a major step forward in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector.

As of October 3, 2025, 881 out of 1,645 hospitals nationwide had implemented electronic medical records (EMR) on schedule as required by the Prime Minister , achieving 53.6% of the assigned target.

Of these, 27 out of 45 hospitals under the Ministry of Health (including 5 university medical hospitals) achieved a rate of 60.0%; 329 out of 492 provincial-level hospitals achieved 66.9%; 339 out of 684 district-level hospitals achieved 49.6%; and 147 out of 384 private hospitals achieved 38.2%.

Despite achieving many positive results, the implementation of EMR still faces many challenges.

Among the hospitals that implemented EMR earliest were: Hai Phong International General Hospital, An Giang Regional General Hospital, Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital, Vinh City General Hospital (Nghe An), Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, Quang Ninh Provincial General Hospital, Bai Chay, Long Khanh, Agricultural General Hospital, and Quang Khoi (Nghe An).

In addition, many hospitals have implemented the program relatively well, such as the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi Medical University, Military Hospital 103, Military Hospital 7, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, Gia Lai General Hospital, Hanoi Oncology Hospital, Saint Paul General Hospital, Duc Giang General Hospital, City Children's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, along with the Vinmec, Tam Anh, Hung Vuong, and Hop Luc systems…

In an interview with a reporter from the Finance-Investment Newspaper regarding the results of implementing electronic medical records, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Quy Tuong, former Director of the Information Technology Department (Ministry of Health) and currently Chairman of the Medical Informatics Association, stated that despite achieving many positive results, the implementation of EMR still faces many difficulties.

Firstly, the financial mechanism is unclear, as public hospitals face difficulties in securing investment capital, while current medical service prices do not include information technology costs.

Secondly, the digital infrastructure is not yet sufficient to meet the requirements for the synchronized deployment of EMR. Thirdly, outdated work habits and manual processes are difficult to change, requiring time and consensus throughout the entire healthcare system.

Fourth, the level of attention from hospital leaders is uneven, affecting the implementation progress. Fifth, the IT skills of the medical staff are still limited, lacking the capacity to effectively utilize the EMR system.

To accelerate progress and achieve the digital transformation goals in healthcare, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Quy Tuong proposed seven synchronized solutions. First, the Ministry of Health needs to strengthen decisive direction and synchronously deploy data platforms and application systems.

This ministry also needs to urgently finalize the legal framework and specific technical guidelines for the units. Thirdly, it needs to build a sustainable financial mechanism and issue medical service prices that take into account information technology costs.

In addition, the Ministry of Health needs to reward units that perform well and strictly penalize units that do not seriously implement the program. At the same time, the role of hospital leaders in directing and supervising the implementation of EMR should be increased.

Specifically, it is crucial to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination among healthcare, technology, finance, and local authorities. Furthermore, focus should be placed on training and enhancing the digital capabilities of healthcare professionals.

The implementation of electronic medical records is one of the key pillars in the national digital transformation roadmap, aiming to build a modern, sustainable healthcare system that is people-centered and data-driven. This is not only an urgent requirement but also an irreversible trend in the digital age.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Tran Quy Tuong, in the context of strong digital transformation, replacing paper medical records with EMRs is inevitable and urgent. Traditional paper records are bulky, easily damaged, difficult to preserve, and do not meet the needs for long-term storage and sharing of medical information.

Meanwhile, electronic medical records help patients avoid carrying multiple documents to appointments, saving waiting time, and ensuring that test results and diagnostic images are stored centrally, securely, and accurately. This provides doctors with complete information for effective treatment, reducing duplicate tests and costs for patients.

EMR also helps ensure continuity of care, allowing patients to access services at multiple healthcare facilities without worrying about losing information. At the same time, patients can proactively monitor their health through digital applications, contributing to increased satisfaction and trust in healthcare services.

From a management perspective, EMR creates a source of "sufficient, clean, and active" data to serve modern governance and policy planning in the healthcare sector. This is an important step in building a digital healthcare system, aiming towards the development of modern, patient-centered healthcare.

In terms of legal basis, Vietnam already has a complete legal framework for implementing EMR. The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment of 2023 clearly stipulates that electronic medical records have the same legal validity as paper records.

In addition, the Ministry of Health has also issued standards for data format, connection protocols, security standards, etc., to ensure that the EMR system is compatible, interoperable, and secure in operation.

Associate Professor Dr. Tran Quy Tuong stated that electronic medical records (EMRs) need to meet several core requirements. First, EMRs must ensure the completeness, accuracy, continuity, and timeliness of medical information, and can be exported and printed as paper records when needed.

EMRs must be legally valid and authenticated by digital or electronic signatures as prescribed by law. Hospitals must issue regulations on the management and use of EMRs; manage digital signatures; and ensure the security and confidentiality of information.

The EMR system must comply with legal regulations on cybersecurity and personal data protection. The system must be interoperable and standardized, ensuring the ability to exchange data between healthcare facilities and social insurance agencies to support medical examinations and treatment, insurance payments, and healthcare management.

When implementing EMR to completely replace paper records, hospitals need to focus on building a sufficiently robust IT infrastructure. Storage devices must have the capacity to meet the legally mandated requirements for storing electronic medical records, at least 10 years, and in some cases, even indefinitely.

For example, if a minimum of 10 terabytes of data needs to be stored each year, then equipment with a capacity corresponding to the long-term plan must be invested in.

Furthermore, electronic medical records must be stored in a certified, secure, and easily accessible data center with backup storage. Healthcare professionals need to be trained in the use of EMRs and have clear access control management to prevent information leaks. Patients also need to be guided on how to access and use their electronic records to monitor their health.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/da-co-gan-900-benh-vien-trien-khai-benh-an-dien-tu-d406904.html