Access Medical Records via App... 'Health Information Expressway' to Open

You Can Now View Scattered MyData Across Medical Institutions at a Glance

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] A "Health Information Expressway" that allows users to check medical records scattered across different healthcare institutions at once through an application (app) will be launched.

On the 31st, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it will hold the "Health Information Expressway Pilot Launch Performance Report Meeting" at 3:30 PM. The Health Information Expressway (MyHealthWay system), which began construction in February last year, has completed its initial phase and entered pilot operation starting this month. The government plans to officially open the Health Information Expressway by expanding participation to about 1,000 medical institutions in the second phase by the first half of next year.

This performance report meeting was organized to encourage the achievements of about 240 first-phase medical institutions that participated in the construction project from February last year to this month and cooperated until the pilot launch, as well as to discuss future improvements. Representing the first-phase medical institutions, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and Pusan National University Hospital participated, along with about 80 experts and officials from seven regional base hospitals representing the second phase.

The Health Information Expressway is a core infrastructure for introducing the MyData ecosystem in the healthcare sector. MyData has been implemented in the financial sector since 2020 and in the public sector since 2021. Medical MyData refers to an ecosystem that enables citizens to easily view their own medical information via mobile apps and use it for desired purposes through digital transmission.

Once the expressway is launched, individuals can comprehensively check their medical records without visiting each hospital individually and easily obtain electronic documents. It can also transmit information not only to medical institutions but also to various organizations such as social welfare facilities, daycare centers, and private service companies.

The performance report meeting proceeded with the launch ceremony of the Medical MyData National Participation Group, the results of the expressway pilot project, and demonstrations of MyData utilization apps developed by each hospital. The National Participation Group consists of patients who have received treatment at first-phase participating medical institutions, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and Pusan National University Hospital, and responded to recruitment for the Medical MyData pilot launch demonstration. From this month until December, they will experience Medical MyData and provide feedback on inconveniences and ideas.

Ms. Na Kyung Lee, who experienced Medical MyData utilization as a member of the National Participation Group at Pusan National University Hospital, said, "I used to receive prescriptions and throw away the medicine bags, so I didn’t know what medicines I had taken or which medicines should not be taken together. It was good to be able to check this through the app." She added, "The problem of explaining the medications I am taking or the diseases I have to new doctors at other hospitals was also resolved."

Lee Ki-il, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, conveyed in a written congratulatory message, "Through the establishment of a national Health Information Expressway, we expect that medical data, which was previously difficult to understand without expert knowledge and hard to use for oneself, will become true MyData."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.