Use of “iAM Smart” in eHealth and Healthcare Sector – Leveraging Digital Identity to Impart Better Medical Services to Hong Kong Citizens
Identification has always been essential for delivery of healthcare services. It is necessary for healthcare providers (HCPs) to verify a patient’s identity for privacy protection in accessing medical and treatment histories. With the enabling of online registration and identification verification with the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHealth) by use of “iAM Smart” since June 2021, it is time for HCPs to examine how the technology can help in providing better healthcare services, treatments and management, in particular with more and more adaptation of remote consultation during the epidemic.
What is “iAM Smart”?
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) launched “iAM Smart” in December 2020, which is a one-stop personalised digital service platform that enables Hong Kong residents to access online services with a single digital identity using the user’s personal mobile phones. As of mid-November 2021, over one million members of the public have registered “iAM Smart” and more than 160 online services are accessible through “iAM Smart”, including public healthcare online services such as downloading the COVID-19 vaccination record (electronic vaccination record), logging on “eHealth” mobile app and “HA Go” mobile app.
Major Functions of “iAM Smart”
“iAM Smart” is free for registration by all Hong Kong Identity Card (“HKID Card”) holders aged 11 or above. There are two versions of “iAM Smart” account, namely “iAM Smart” (via self-online registration) and “iAM Smart+” (via in-person registration at designated locations). Users can use “iAM Smart” online for authentication, “e-ME” form-filling and digital signing.
Authentication - Users can use “iAM Smart” to verify their identities to access various government and commercial online services in a simple and secure way. With use of biometric authentication in the mobile devices, it brings convenience to daily life without having to manage different user names and passwords of the online services.
“e-ME” Form-Filling - Users can store personal data (such as name, gender, phone number, date of birth, residential address, and education level, etc.) in “e-ME” to perform form-filling automatically, saving their effort in repeatedly filling in the same data for different applications.
Digital Signing (“iAM Smart+” only) - Users can sign digitally electronic documents or forms to handle legal documents and procedures online with conformance to the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Chapter 553 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“ETO”).
“iAM Smart” Use Cases on Public Healthcare Services
Since the launch of “iAM Smart”, government departments have been using “iAM Smart” as trusted digital identities for users to register and access their online services. For public healthcare services, users can choose to complete online eHealth registration with use of “iAM Smart” to verify their identities at the same time, instead of performing in-person verification at the eHealth registration centres. This remote on-boarding process can be completed anytime and anywhere, even when a user is outside Hong Kong. Upon successful registration, users can access their eHealth records (including COVID-19 vaccination records) immediately. “HA Go” mobile app of the Hospital Authority also adopts “iAM Smart” authentication for users to activate its online functions, such as enquiring and managing medical appointments.
Potential Use Cases in Healthcare Sector
HCPs are encouraged to explore how “iAM Smart” can play a role to empower their healthcare system, giving patients a simpler and more secure way to provide their identity online when accessing the healthcare services, including:
Access to healthcare-related records and services - HCPs can adopt “iAM Smart” to authenticate their users when providing online services. Upon user consent, HCPs can also obtain verified information of their HKID cards for identity management. With such a verified identity record, the HCP can ensure that the right person is accessing the health records or receiving the healthcare services.
Signing healthcare-related documents digitally - There are occasions when digital signatures are required for electronic documents or forms involved to provide healthcare services, such requirements can be easily met by digital signing function of “iAM Smart+” using the users’ mobile phones.
“iAM Smart” Sandbox Programme
OGCIO collaborates with Cyberport to implement the “iAM Smart” Sandbox Programme (Sandbox) for public and private organisations to access to mock-up and integrated testing environments to build proof-of-concepts using “iAM Smart”. “iAM Smart” Application Programming Interface documentation and technical details are provided to Sandbox participants to facilitate related system development.
HCPs can now join the Sandbox to embark on the “iAM Smart” journey. Eligible healthcare organisations can enrol the Sandbox to formulate business cases and prepare their online services for adopting “iAM Smart” by submitting an application with necessary documents to the Cyberport. Details can be found on the Sandbox website (https://iamsmart.cyberport.hk/).
Start your “iAM Smart” healthcare journey now!
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