Health Information and the NEHR
What is "Health Information"?
"Health information" refers to any personal information about your health or disability.
Examples of health information include:
What is not considered health information:
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Some health information exposes a patient to greater harm during a data breach. These are categorised as Sensitive Health Information, and additional controls and safeguards would be in place for managing these.
Examples of Sensitive Health Information are:
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Click here for more information on the list of Sensitive Health Information.
Click here for more information on how the HIB protects your health information, including Sensitive Health Information.
Where will my health information be stored?
When you visit a healthcare professional, your health information will be recorded in their health record system. Under the HIB, a selected subset of these information will be contributed and stored in the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR). You can also view some of your NEHR records through HealthHub, such as your medications, drug allergies and laboratory results.
National Electronic Health Record (NEHR)
The NEHR is the national repository that collects a copy of your selected key health information across different healthcare providers. This contains important details about your medical history and is the minimum set of information that healthcare professionals would generally need to know about your health to deliver care safely.
For example, drug allergies, laboratory test results and prescribed medications are types of health information that will be contributed to the NEHR. There may be occasions where you may not recall the type of medications you are on, or the tests already done, and your healthcare professional such as your doctor can access these NEHR records before determining the course of treatment.
Mock up of the Patient Dashboard View in NEHR, i.e., what your healthcare professional sees
What does mandatory contribution to NEHR mean?
Since NEHR was introduced in 2011, public healthcare institutions have been contributing selected health information to NEHR, but not all private health institutions have done so. This significantly reduces the usefulness of NEHR as a repository of your medical history and needs.
The HIB will require all licensed healthcare providers and MOH-approved care providers (such as community pharmacists) to contribute data to the NEHR. In other words, key selected health information provided when you seek care and treatment from your healthcare provider will be sent and stored in the NEHR. Over time, your NEHR records will become an increasingly useful tool that a healthcare professional can use when delivering care to you.
Licensed healthcare providers who do not comply with the mandatory contribution of these selected health information to NEHR may be subject to penalties under the HIB.
Read on to find out more about NEHR, or visit their website for more information.