The Ministry of Public Health is preparing to expand its Digital Health Platform, in which the provision and management of healthcare services are digitised as much as possible.
The first pilot phase of the programme under the universal health coverage (UHC) scheme began on Jan 7 in four provinces: Phrae, Phetchaburi, Roi Et and Narathiwat.
Eight more provinces will be added in the second phase, said Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the ministry’s permanent secretary. They are Phetchabun, Nakhon Sawan, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Sing Buri, Sa Kaeo and Phangnga.
People registered under UHC in the eight provinces will be able to identify themselves with their national ID cards when seeking health services at any participating facility. Other aspects of service provision, including patient health records, will be accessed, stored, updated and shared digitally and remotely among authorised providers, said Dr Opas.
In the first phase, some health services are being provided remotely, such as seeing a doctor via telemedicine, getting a prescription and having the prescribed medications delivered by various means such as by a delivery rider or a health volunteer, he said.
Fifty-nine percent of prescribed medications are now being delivered to patients in the first four provinces, he said.
A conference for healthcare providers is planned for Feb 1 and 2 to update progress in their preparation for the second phase of the programme.
Aside from promoting digitisation of healthcare services, the ministry is also responsible for protecting patients’ rights when it comes to personal information stored on the ministry’s digital platform, said Dr Opas.
The ministry is now seeking cabinet approval of a draft bill that would regulate and ensure confidentiality and safety of the handling of patients’ personal information under this project, he added.
So far, 26,276 medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists and medical technologists under UHC have registered to identify themselves while performing their tasks using a digital ID, 7,549 of whom are are authorised to use digital signatures.
In another development, the National Health Security Board, which oversees the UHC, has approved the provision of self-test kits for liver fluke infections under the programme.
Liver fluke infections are a main cause of cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, said Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, adding that Thailand recorded 195,207 bile duct cancer cases between 2014 and 2022.
Thailand has the highest rates of bile duct cancer in the world. Most liver fluke infections are linked to the consumption of koi pla — raw fish ground with spices and lime — in northeastern Thailand.
The test kits will be be made available free of charge for UHC-registered people aged 15 years and older, to help improve early detection of this key indicator of high risk for bile duct cancer, the minister said.