ENG-2011 — Page 216

176 | Health

subsidised treatment from private doctors enrolled under the Project. As at end 2011, ten private doctors and 1 618 patients had enrolled in the programme.

The Public-Private Chronic Disease Management Shared Care Programme was first piloted in the Sha Tin and Tai Po districts of the HA's New Territories East Cluster in March 2010 and subsequently extended to the Hong Kong East Cluster in September 2010. This programme provides an additional choice for chronic disease patients being followed up in the public healthcare system to receive treatment in the private sector with a partial subsidy provided by the Government. The programme aims to establish long-term patient-doctor relationships with a view to providing sustainable and holistic care for patients.

In addition, the Haemodialysis Public-Private Partnership Programme was launched in March 2010 to collaborate with eligible private haemodialysis services providers in providing haemodialysis services to eligible patients with end-stage renal disease currently under the care of HA. A total of 108 patients are expected to take part in the programme in 2012-13.

An Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme introduced by the Government since January 2009 continues to work well. Under it, five $50 healthcare vouchers are given annually to the elderly aged 70 or above as a subsidy for their use of private primary healthcare services within their neighbourhood community. Up to the end of 2011, a total of 3 066 healthcare service providers had joined this scheme with voucher claims made by more than 387 000 or 57 per cent of eligible elderly people, and the amount of subsidy involved totalled about $200 million. To further test the effectiveness of the scheme in enhancing primary care services for the elderly and for the betterment of their health and well-being, the Government has extended the pilot scheme for three more years, up to 2014 and doubled the annual voucher amount to $500 for each eligible elderly person.

The Government has also introduced a number of vaccination schemes through PPP. These include vaccination subsidy schemes for children and the elderly; and a residential care home vaccination programme to increase the number of vaccination. service providers and to give the public more choice of providers. The aim is to extend the service to more target groups to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) Sharing

The Government is conducting a Public-Private-Interface Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project to test its feasibility and gauge public acceptance of eHR sharing. The project aims to enhance continuity of care for patients by enabling participating private healthcare providers and other registered institutions to view the HA's records, subject to patients' consent.

By the end of 2011, more than 196 200 patients, 2 510 private doctors and healthcare providers, 12 private hospitals and 63 other private organisations or NGOs providing healthcare-related services (including their 376 residential care homes or centres) had participated in the project.