PETALING JAYA: With 14% of the Malaysian population expected to be senior citizens by 2040, a fully integrated digitalised health record (DHR) system will be crucial in managing the looming ageing population crisis, says a study by the Khazanah Research Institute (KRI).

The study titled Digital Health Records in Malaysia: The Journey and the Way Forward, released yesterday, said it was important to address the currently fragmented health information systems.

Referencing a previous study by the institute’s research associate Ilyana Syafiqa Mukhriz Mudaris, the report said the country’s growing ageing population would also result in more patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that require constant care.

“A reliance on traditional paper-based methods could be potentially detrimental as patients shift from requiring episodic, curative care to long-term continuous care that is increasingly community-based.

“DHRs that allow seamless sharing of information between healthcare providers and easy patient access to medical records is something that should be implemented,” she wrote in her research paper in March last year.

The report recognised the challenges in implementing an integrated DHR, such as the security and privacy risks, possible system design and implementation issues, as well as existing inequalities in access and literacy in communities across the country.It listed a number of policy recommendations to help overcome these issues.

“Digital health-specific legislation needs to be updated since current provisions may not be comprehensive enough regarding how entities can collect, use and disclose health information.

“There must also be increased investment in foundational healthcare digitalisation, which includes total lifecycle costs of the system and existing infrastructure readiness.

“Consistent data standards must also be enforced thoroughly to facilitate proper public-private healthcare systems integration,” said the report.

KRI also said there was a need to promote public awareness on the importance of patient access to health, which would boost inclusivity.

“This is key to supporting a healthcare system reform that shifts away from medical paternalism to patient autonomy,” it added.

The report is a consolidated summary of various articles by KRI researchers since March last year.

These include the institute’s deputy director of research Dr Rachel Gong, senior research associate Dr Jun-E Tan, Ilyana and former contract research assistant Lim Su Lin.

A report released in July last year by the Statistics Department titled Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2023, said Malaysia’s senior population aged 65 years and above had increased from 7.2% of the overall population in 2022 to 7.4% in 2023.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/08/report-digital-integration-key-to-tackling-ageing-population