Hong Kong to fine doctors for ignoring eHealth data input

Hong Kong is considering new penalties for doctors who fail to upload important patient data. Under a proposed law, healthcare professionals could face fines of up to HK$50,000 (about US$6,400) for repeatedly ignoring orders to input data into the city’s electronic medical record system. This legislative amendment will be introduced in a meeting with lawmakers next Wednesday. The government hopes to pass it by the end of the legislative year. In addition to fines, the amendment will allow healthcare providers outside Hong Kong to access and input data into the eHealth platform if they have the patient's consent. Deputy Secretary for Health Sam Hui Chark-shum noted that while private medical practitioners make up 60 percent of the platform's users, they contribute less than 1 percent of the records. The planned amendment aims to improve this situation by updating the Electronic Health Record Sharing System Ordinance. The eHealth platform, launched in 2016, is designed to help public and private healthcare providers share patient health records. This system is part of Hong Kong's efforts to enhance its primary healthcare services.