Dr. Pham Van Liem, Director of Phu Tan District Health Center, said: “Phu Tan is located far from the provincial center, with unfavorable transportation conditions, limiting people's access to medical services. In addition, the level of information technology (IT) application among the population is still quite low, affecting the ability to provide and receive medical services through digital systems. Therefore, the District Health Center has proactively implemented applications to make it easier for people to access medical examinations and treatment.”
The "vnCare" remote appointment scheduling application is considered a management application that connects people with healthcare, bringing practical benefits and making a positive contribution to the care and protection of people's health. Recognizing this utility, the Phu Tan District Health Center has established IT teams to support the commune-level health services (8 communes, 1 town) in installing this application.
Patients scheduling appointments in advance through the system makes it easier for the medical team to monitor patients and reduces the pressure of patient volume.
“At the commune level, we instruct the focal point officials in each commune, including commune health workers, hamlet health workers, youth union members, and community digital transformation forces from various units… Then, we establish IT teams, assign direct responsibilities and targets to each member in charge of a specific area, and proceed to guide people in installing and using the software. The plan is implemented synchronously from the commune to the hamlet level, with monitoring, supervision, support, and assistance to resolve difficulties when necessary,” added Dr. Pham Van Liem.
Simultaneously, the district is also updating and standardizing citizen information (citizen ID/electronic identification) and synchronizing it with the population database of the VNPT -HMIS software (health management information system) so that each citizen has a personal electronic health record.
Accordingly, in a short period of intensive implementation, the entire district has installed the vnCare application for 47,354 people, accounting for 47.72% of the local population, contributing to the criterion of ≥ 50% of the population having electronic medical records in the New Rural Development program. Of these, 100% of doctors at the district health stations/multi-specialty clinics and the Phu Tan Health Center have installed and are proficient in using the functions of the vnCare software.
“The initial results in supporting and guiding people to install and access the new software are a great effort by the district. In the coming time, the district will continue to promote it so that people gradually become familiar with this new service. Thanks to the urgent guidance at the grassroots level, the number of appointments booked through the vnCare application has increased sharply,” Dr. Liem said enthusiastically.
According to statistics from the District Health Center, in the first seven months of 2023, the entire district had approximately 52,800 visits for medical examination and treatment (the center received over 11,600 visits; the grassroots level received over 41,000 visits), including nearly 6,000 appointments made at medical facilities and 35 online consultations booked through vnCare.
Thanks to the installation and application of telemedicine software, people in Phu Tan district can access medical examinations at the district's health center more quickly and easily, without having to wait long.
Having just registered for medical examination and treatment using the vnCare software a few days ago, Mr. Duong Thanh Hong, from Rach Cheo hamlet, Rach Cheo commune, shared: “I’ve known about this software for quite a while and registered to use it since the beginning of this year. My house is quite far from the District Health Center, so by registering in advance, I can proactively manage my time, go for examinations immediately, and get priority in choosing the clinic, doctor, and specific appointment time. The system also allows me to review my medical history and prescriptions. Because I registered in advance, the doctors aren’t overwhelmed with patients. This service is very convenient.”
Dr. Pham Van Liem stated: “The implementation of the vnCare software at the grassroots level has greatly improved patient reception, reducing waiting times and making things more convenient for patients. The functions for reviewing medical history, prescriptions, paraclinical procedures, and completed tests are also clearly stored and easily searchable.”
With its suitable support features and benefits, the Phu Tan Health Center continues to develop a deployment plan, guide people on its use, and direct commune health stations to assign staff to be on duty, guide people in installing and using the software; continue to direct localities to review and standardize information, update citizen identification cards for those who are missing, and update health records for the people. At the same time, strengthen propaganda to encourage people to develop the habit of using software on smartphones to conduct digital transactions; especially related to remote medical examinations, treatment, consultations, and health monitoring.
Hong Nhung
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