China's National Health Commission Announces Policy to Open Electronic Health Records to Individuals

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) has learned that on June 20, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly released the “Notice on Doing a Good Job in the 2018 National Basic Public Health Service Projects” (Guo Wei Ji Ceng Fa [2018] No. 18), hereinafter referred to as the “Notice.”

The Notice requires that in 2018, all localities shall continue to implement the 12 categories of projects (hereinafter referred to as the “12 Categories of Projects”), namely: establishment of resident health records, health education, immunization, child health management, maternal health management, elderly health management, health management for patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, management of patients with severe mental disorders, health management of tuberculosis patients, traditional Chinese medicine health management, reporting and handling of infectious diseases and public health emergencies, and family planning and health supervision assistance.

VCBeat has learned that the key annual tasks outlined in the Notice include the following three areas:

The National Health Commission has launched pilot programs integrating medical care and prevention for hypertension at the primary care level in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, and has organized nationwide training. This year, provinces with high enthusiasm and a solid operational foundation will be selected to further expand the scope of these pilots.

The National Health Commission has organized personnel to study and formulate the "National Guidelines for the Prevention, Control, and Management of Diabetes at the Primary Care Level" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines"), which will be issued in the near future. All regions are requested to align their thinking, fully recognize the significant importance of implementing the "Guidelines," and strengthen both basic public health services and basic medical care. In accordance with the principles of "unified management guidelines, unified personnel assessment, unified quality evaluation, unified monitoring and assessment, and unified health education content," all regions should carefully organize and guide primary healthcare institutions to select qualified family doctor teams to actively participate in the training and assessments organized by the National Health Commission. Furthermore, they should cooperate with the National Health Commission in carrying out pilot programs for the integrated medical and preventive management of diabetes at the primary care level, explore service models and incentive mechanisms that promote the integration of medical care and prevention for diabetes at the grassroots level, and lay the foundation for nationwide implementation.

To implement the “Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet + Medical Health’” (Guo Ban Fa [2018] No. 26), give full play to the foundational support and public convenience role of electronic health records (EHRs) in basic public health services and health management, and, based on the level of grassroots informatization and EHR development in various regions as well as the actual needs of residents for health services, make breakthroughs by focusing on key populations such as patients with chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension and diabetes), pregnant and postpartum women, children aged 0–6 years, and adults aged 65 years and older. Through smart clients, television, mobile apps, websites, and other channels, and while ensuring personal information security, promote the opening of EHRs to individuals, facilitate public access to their own health information, stimulate public participation in self-health management, and enhance the public’s sense of gain.

 
The “Notice” also states that in 2018, the per capita subsidy standard for basic public health services was raised from RMB 50 to RMB 55, with the additional funds primarily allocated to the following areas:

First, consolidate the 12 categories of projects, expand service coverage, appropriately increase service subsidies, refine and improve service content, and enhance service quality.

Second, coordinate and arrange funding for two projects: the free provision of contraceptives and health literacy promotion.

The central government will continue to provide subsidies to all regions, and local finance departments at all levels must allocate sufficient funds for these subsidies. Provincial authorities shall coordinate the use of central subsidy funds and increase support for disadvantaged areas. The disbursement of funds should be further accelerated by adopting a “pre-allocation followed by final settlement” approach to ensure timely and full availability of funds. For basic public health services provided by village doctors, corresponding funding shall be disbursed to them through government purchase of services, based on verified task volumes and performance assessment results. Newly increased funding shall be prioritized for village doctors to strengthen basic public health services at the village level.

For more details, please refer to the original official policy:

Notice on Doing a Good Job in the National Basic Public Health Service Projects in 2018