2024 Volume 44 Issue 2 Pages 77-86
Objective: To clarify the history, present state, and future plans of personal health record (PHR) services in Taiwan as a representative example, this discussion aims to contribute to the implementation and proliferation of PHR services in Japan.
Methods: We utilized publicly available resources on the websites of Taiwanese government agencies.
Results: Taiwan has been exploring the adoption and sharing of electronic health records (EHR) since 2003. However, the integration of EHR across medical institutions nationwide has faced considerable obstacles, including cost implications, privacy concerns, and other significant barriers. Consequently, the Taiwanese government has taken proactive measures to address these challenges by implementing a series of policies designed to incentivize the adoption of EHR. These policies have proven successful in overcoming many of the obstacles previously encountered. Furthermore, in 2014, the Taiwanese government introduced the My Health Bank system, which is now recognized as Taiwan's official PHR platform. This initiative was launched with the goal of helping citizens to gain a deeper understanding of their personal health status.
Conclusion: The rapid development of digitalization of medical information in Taiwan can be largely attributed to the government's promotion of a balanced system of incentives and penalties as a national policy.
