by MP for Aljunied GRC, Low Thia Khiang
Chairman Sir,
1. The objective of having a National Electronic Health Record system is to enable each person to have only one medical record that is accessible to all health-care professionals.
2. This system is good as it allows medical professionals, including those from private hospitals, polyclinics and step down care services, to access to the medical record of the patient they are treating, including previous diagnostic examination of the patient done at other medical institutions. This will enable them to do a more accurate diagnosis of the patient. I also believe this will help to cut down heath care costs in the long run.
3. I would like to know when would the whole system be completed and implemented and what can the medical professionals and the public expect from the system?
4. The recent abuse of the system by a medical professional highlights the concern of the public on the issue of patient confidentiality.
5. Also ‘sensitive’ information on conditions such as impotency and HIV may cause unnecessary embarrassment or stigma against the patients and should not be accessed unnecessarily.
6. What safeguards has the Ministry put in place to prevent misuse of the system and to protect ‘sensitive’ information?