E-Health Files for 66m Iranians

A total of 590 hospitals have been connected to the national Electronic Health Record (EHR) system (abbreviated as ‘SEPAS’ in Persian), said Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi.

“Electronic health files have been created for 66 million people (82% of the population),” he was quoted as saying on the sidelines of the unveiling ceremony of electronic doctor’s signatures on Monday, ISNA reported.

Electronic health files or the EHR system is a prerequisite for the Health Ministry’s family physician project, and is projected to extend its coverage to 100% by September-end.

EHR is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.

E-records began to be created for all patients at state-run hospitals two years ago, but were not made mandatory for private hospitals. Currently only 40% of the 350 private hospitals are equipped with separate EHR systems.