QR-code technology has made further inroads in Shenzhen’s health sector, as an intelligent health e-card adopting the technology was issued at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital in Futian District on Thursday, marking the first time such a card has been issued in Guangdong Province.
Designed by the National Health Commission, the e-card is a medical service card that contains the resident’s personal information, ID card number and social security card information.
Instead of being a physical card, the health e-card is presented in the form of a QR code that is exclusive to each person. It can be stored on a mobile phone or attached to one’s medical reports and used at different medical institutions in the city, the province and even across the country.
Residents can make doctor appointments, pay medical bills, check medical examination reports, collect medicines, inquire about health records, sign up with family doctors and enjoy other medical services with the health e-card.
Lin Denan, director of the Shenzhen Medical Information Center, said the e-card has a number of distinct characteristics. It is open to all residents and is easy to apply for. It not only provides convenience for patients, but also facilitates a one-stop health management platform for the general public.
Lin added that the management platform of the health e-card is open to WeChat, Alipay, commercial banks, China UnionPay, non-banking payment institutions and various other kinds of apps, which will enable more people to receive their health e-cards in a short period of time.
Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Shenzhen No. 2 People’s Hospital, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, the Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen Bao’an District People’s Hospital and Bao’an District Central Hospital are the first batch of medical institutions to pilot the application of the health e-card in Shenzhen.
The e-card can only be used in outpatient clinics for the time being, and will be used for hospitalization services in the near future.
Subsequently, the city will further promote the issuance and application of the e-card to make it cover all medical services. It is expected that the health e-card will be accepted at 90 percent of the city’s hospitals by 2020.
At present, citizens can apply for the health e-card through the mobile phone app “健康深圳” or the WeChat account of the city’s health and family planning commission “szwjwwx” (深圳卫计委).