Policy Briefs & Reports

The pandemic made digital healthcare an integral part of our lives in various forms, including teleconsultations, exchanging digital records and now linking health outcome (vaccination) to identity, anywhere, anytime, through the Co-WIN site, which can also, inter alia, be accessed through the Aarogya Setu app. Now, visualise an ecosystem where, just like vaccination, all the medical tests and procedures related to an individual were stored in the cloud, available, anywhere, anytime, whenever demanded by the individual or someone authorized by the individual. That is the goal of a personal electronic health record (EHR) linked to a unique health ID – currently termed the ABHA Number (Ayushman Bharat Health Account number).

The thrust of this policy brief focuses on the various aspects of human interface with the EHR ecosystem, presents possible challenges to implementation, and possible actions to overcome those challenges.

Preparation of this work is supported by the British High Commission, New Delhi, under the UK-India Economic Policy Program.