The South Korean government seeks to streamline access to the personal health records of over eight million patients held in tertiary general hospitals in a single platform by next year. 

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

MyHealthway allows Koreans to view their medical records in a standardised format from various hospitals. It also enables hospitals to securely access their information with consent. The platform stores 113 types of health data, including surgery reports and pathology test results. 

Since launching the platform in September last year, 860 health institutions have been linked to the platform, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). Patient data from an additional 144 hospitals and clinics will go live on MyHealthway next month September, concluding the first phase of onboarding. 

WHY IT MATTERS

In a press statement, the MOHW, together with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, said that 21 more tertiary hospitals will connect their patients' health records to MyHealthway as part of the second round of onboarding. This round, which began in August this year and ends in July next year, targets to connect 259 more medical institutions. 

The MOHW noted that tertiary general hospitals hold extensive and detailed medical records of around 8.3 million patients. Their participation in the project is thus crucial in promoting and expanding MyHealthway. 

By next year, MyHealthway is expected to have a total of 1,263 tertiary general hospitals, general hospitals, and clinics connecting their patients' health records.

THE LARGER TREND

Part of the Korean government's larger Digital Platform Government initiative, MyHealthway was launched following a pilot with 245 medical facilities in 2022. About $9 million was earmarked for its rollout in the 2024 budget.