Patients wait to receive health insurance medicine at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: THUY DUONG
On the afternoon of July 28, the Ho Chi Minh City health sector said that regarding "hospitals having to take photos of patients when examining for health insurance at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital", the Ho Chi Minh City health sector does not encourage implementation when the hospital has not yet fully developed the process and does not have regulations on protecting personal information according to the law.
The Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security have not yet issued legal documents requiring medical examination and treatment facilities to take and store images of patients when receiving health insurance examinations or implementing electronic medical records.
The activity of authenticating patient information using an electronic identification account (VNeID) issued by the Ministry of Public Security also does not require storing images at the hospital.
In the case of using images to compare with population databases, related systems must ensure full compliance with legal regulations on security and safety of personal information.
It is a practical need for hospitals to proactively take pictures of patients to enhance identification, avoid patient confusion and improve management efficiency.
However, this activity is within the scope of responsibility of medical examination and treatment facilities and must be strictly implemented in accordance with the provisions of law, specifically as follows:
Clause 2, Article 69 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 stipulates: Medical examination and treatment facilities are responsible for storing, securing and only using electronic medical records for the purpose of medical examination and treatment; they must not be used for the wrong purpose or contrary to the provisions of law.
Decree No. 13/2023/ND-CP of the Government on personal data protection clearly states: the collection and use of personal data, including images, must have clear and transparent explanations and voluntary consent of the data owner.
Thus, taking pictures of patients during medical examination is only allowed when:
1. Patients are fully informed about the purpose of use, scope of storage and right to protection of personal data.
2. The patient's consent is required. This should not be considered a mandatory condition for receiving medical examination and treatment, especially in health insurance medical examination and treatment.
The city's health sector does not encourage the implementation of patient photography in cases where medical facilities have not fully developed procedures and do not have regulations on personal information confidentiality.
If the hospital wants to use images to identify patients to manage health insurance cards and improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, the Department of Health recommends developing a specific plan and sending it to the department (functional departments) for guidance and assessment of legality, procedures, security and privacy capabilities, ensuring compliance with current laws.
Absolutely no disturbance, no impact on patient rights
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health will continue to monitor and require medical facilities to promote digital transformation, while protecting the legitimate rights of the people.
The application of information technology in medical examination and treatment must comply with legal regulations, be suitable for practice and not cause additional procedures or inconvenience.
Medical facilities must absolutely not cause trouble or affect the rights of patients when accessing services.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-khuyen-khich-cac-benh-vien-chup-hinh-benh-nhan-khi-kham-bao-hiem-y-te-20250728174044677.htm
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