Asan Medical Center Launches Full-Scale 'Health Information Highway' Project

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Amid growing emphasis on the value of MyData, which positions patients as owners of their own medical data, Asan Medical Center in Seoul has launched a full-scale service. This project, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Information Service, allows patients to view their own medical records held by various healthcare institutions. With patient consent, selected data can be safely and efficiently transmitted to chosen destinations. The system began operating in September 2023, incorporating 1,269 healthcare institutions nationwide, including 47 tertiary hospitals, as data providers. Prior to the full-scale launch, Asan Medical Center served as a central repository and managing institution since July 2024, focusing on building a cloud system compliant with the international transmission technology standard (FHIR) to ensure safe delivery of medical information. Patients can use the 'My Health Records' app to view, store, and share comprehensive data including patient information, diagnosis history, medication prescription history, test results (diagnostic, imaging, pathology), and surgical history. Experts suggest that this capability allows healthcare professionals to refer to records from other hospitals, providing treatments tailored to individual conditions, thereby enhancing the overall quality of care.