An infographic illustrates the steps for accessing personal electronic health records through HCM City's Digital Citizen mobile application. — Photo courtesy of the Department of Health

HCM CITY — HCM City residents can now access their electronic health records on their smartphones as part of the city's broader plan to build lifetime health profiles for its nearly 15 million residents and shift toward preventive and personalised healthcare, health officials said on Wednesday.

The new feature, available from July 1 through the city's Digital Citizen mobile application, allows residents to view health indicators, medical examination histories and doctors' recommendations on their phones.

Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the Department of Health, said the electronic health record system was designed to create a continuously updated health profile for each resident throughout their lifetime.

"Instead of storing separate paper records after each medical examination, residents can now access their health information on a single digital platform," he said.

The initiative forms part of the city's wider effort to develop a comprehensive healthcare database that integrates information from annual health screenings and medical treatment records.

Under the programme, health data generated through routine health examinations, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels and other key indicators, will be automatically added to each resident's electronic health record.

The system will also compile medical treatment data, including diagnoses, laboratory tests, imaging results, prescriptions, hospital admissions, surgeries and chronic disease management records.

Health officials said combining these two categories of information would enable doctors to monitor changes in patients' health over time, identify risks earlier, and provide more personalised treatment while reducing unnecessary repeat tests.

The electronic health record system currently includes data from residents who have participated in the city's free health screening programmes and will continue to be updated following future health examinations.

At present, users can access basic personal information, health insurance details, blood type, allergy history, underlying medical conditions, vaccination records and summaries of recent health check-ups.

They can also view detailed health data, including physical examination results, laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging and doctors' recommendations.

More comprehensive medical information, including outpatient and inpatient treatment histories, diagnoses, prescriptions, test results and medical procedures, is expected to be added after the city's centralised healthcare database is completed by the end of 2026.

Officials said the long-term goal is to move beyond a healthcare system focused primarily on treating illness toward one centred on continuous health management and disease prevention.

The integrated database could also help authorities monitor disease trends, forecast healthcare demand and allocate medical resources more effectively, while supporting future applications of artificial intelligence, preventive medicine and precision healthcare.

Residents can access their electronic health records by downloading the Digital Citizen app and logging in with their VNeID digital identification accounts.

Health officials said the records are accessible only to authenticated users to protect personal data and advised residents not to share their health information with unauthorised parties.

HCM City, whose population exceeds 14 million following recent administrative restructuring, plans to provide free annual health screenings to all residents beginning in 2026.

The city has offered free annual health check-ups to residents aged 60 and above since 2023 and recently launched pilot community healthcare teams providing home visits for elderly residents and patients with chronic illnesses. — VNS