The Health Bureau announced today that from September 30, the new functions of the “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” in the eHealth mobile app will be applicable at three more hospitals under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme.

Such hospitals include the Nansha Division of The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, the Dongguan Tungwah Hospital, and the Shenzhen New Frontier United Family Hospital.

The goal of the move is to enhance the continuity of medical care for Hong Kong citizens through facilitating their secure use of electronic health records (eHRs) across the boundary, the bureau explained.

Starting next Monday, eligible senior citizens who use Elderly Health Care Vouchers at the three hospitals can apply for their eHRs deposited in eHealth over the past three years through the “Cross-boundary Health Record” function in advance.

Upon verification, a “File QR Code” and a “Password QR Code” will be sent to the user via the eHealth app. Healthcare professionals can then access and browse the eHRs by scanning the two QR codes presented by the user at the time of consultation to assist in diagnoses and treatment.

Following system enhancements, the time required for preparing eHRs has been reduced to no more than 24 hours, meaning that patients should submit their applications one day prior to consultation, the bureau advised.

It added that patients can deposit medical-related records obtained during consultations received outside Hong Kong into their eHealth personal accounts.

This is done through eHealth’s “Personal Folder” function, which can facilitate the storage and use of personal medical-related records obtained in and outside Hong Kong. Authorised healthcare providers in Hong Kong can access such records through eHealth during follow-up consultations.