Working Paper Series

Abstract: Technology grows fast in recent decades and has contributed to the development of health information system. The Government has established the eHR sharing system to bring about a host of benefits to the community through more efficient health care services, reduction on medical costs as a result of more effective and early treatment. The system would also enhance the availability and transparency of information through sharing of patient records between healthcare providers in both the public and private sectors, with the objectives to reduce the frequency of consultations, to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and patient management, to avoid duplicate investigations and errors associated with paper records, and to enable disease surveillance and public health research leading more effective policy formulation. In this essay, the authors suggest that there is much to be learned from the development and implementation of their electronic medical record system in Taiwan. A social marketing approach is recommended in order to improve and promote the electronic health record project in Hong Kong.