Global Digital Health Partnership Summit and Asia Pacific Electronic Health Record Conference 2019 in Hong Kong
The Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS) was introduced to global participants of two international events held in Hong Kong.
Fifth Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) Summit - 15 to 16 October 2019
In October 2019, the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India, the incumbent GDHP Chair, with the support of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA), hosted the Fifth GDHP Summit at the Hong Kong Science Park. The Summit was a platform for global dialogue on policy and implementation issues, and sharing of experience and best practices in digital health services amongst participants. More than 50 delegates from 18 economies and multinational organisations joined the event.
At her inaugural speech, Professor Sophia Chan, the Secretary for Food and Health, underscored the importance of digital health, including eHRSS, in the Government's efforts in addressing various healthcare challenges. "The big challenges we face call for a critical look at the existing system and also the use of innovative and sustainable methods to enhance our efficiency, effectiveness and quality of the healthcare service provided," she remarked. "Throughout the years, we have launched a number of policy initiatives, including strengthening our primary healthcare system, focusing more on disease prevention, and promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors." Professor Chan added that, the territory-wide eHRSS, by providing a common and secured infrastructure for sharing of patients' health records, plays an important role in supporting many of their initiatives, including most recently the new District Health Centre, that aims to alleviate the pressure on the public healthcare services through public-private collaboration.
Dr Cheung Ngai Tseung, Head of Information Technology (IT) and Health Informatics of HA, also shared with participants the IT strategy and development of HA, how the organisation leveraged digital technologies and their experience at public hospitals.
During the two-day Summit, participants discussed and reviewed progress of the GDHP work plan under the themes of "Policy Environments", "Interoperability", "Clinical and Consumer Engagement", "Evidence and Evaluation" and "Cyber Security". In addition, delegates were invited to share and exchange their digital health experience. The Summit was wrapped up with a visit to the HA Innovation and IT Command Centre.
To know more about the GDHP Summit in Hong Kong, please visit the eHealth website: https://www.ehealth.gov.hk/en/whats-new/events/gdhp2019.html.
Asia Pacific Electronic Health Record Conference (APeHRC) 2019 - 17 to 18 October 2019
In collaboration with GDHP, the Hong Kong Society of Medical Informatics, eHealth Consortium and HL7 Hong Kong co-organised a two-day APeHRC back-to-back with the GDHP Summit at the Hong Kong Science Park.
Themed "The Next Big Thing in eHealth", the Conference aimed to promote electronic health record (eHR) sharing in Hong Kong, foster technological development in the private sector to facilitate eHR sharing, and help build up IT and healthcare sectors' capability in eHR. About 700 participants from 16 countries/ territories and the World Health Organization joined to share their experience and discuss a range of topics covering digital heath policy vision, development of artificial intelligence in healthcare and breakthrough innovations in eHealth.
Ms Elizabeth Tse, Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), and Mr Ian Chin, Principal Assistant Secretary for Food and Health (Health), were invited to give the opening remarks and deliver a presentation to introduce to participants the implementation and development of eHRSS in Hong Kong. An exhibition booth was also set up by the eHR Office to promote eHRSS and carry out on-site registration for participants.
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