Participation of Private Healthcare Institutions in National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) System

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the participation in the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system by private healthcare institutions including hospitals, general practitioners and institutions run by voluntary welfare organisations.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Since the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) was introduced in 2013, usage has been on the increase. Today, more than 21,000 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, from more than 1,000 healthcare providers have access to the NEHR. In a typical month, more than 767,000 patient record searches are being made.

The providers using NEHR come from different settings. For example, 56% of GP clinics and 70% of the Intermediate and Long Term Care providers have access to NEHR. In the past year, more care providers from the private sector, including specialist clinics, dental clinics, and x-ray labs, have come on board.

We will continue to encourage healthcare providers and professionals to adopt NEHR so as to bring more benefits to patients.