HONG KONG, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — With the rapid development in information technology, digital transformation has become a core driver in promoting the integration of various sectors in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). In the GBA, a pioneering program has been carried out to explore the potential applications of digital identities and the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) in the medical field. This program aims to demonstrate how innovative technology can facilitate interoperability in identity verification and professional qualifications recognition among cities in the GBA in a digital way, so as to enhance the digitalization of credential management and address technical challenges in professional talent mobility. The goal of these technologies is to ensure efficient and real-time verification of qualifications and medical records, ensuring that patients receive reliable and trustworthy medical services, thus promoting deployment of innovative solutions in the medical sector and laying a solid foundation for efficient and medical services collaboration across the GBA.
Since its establishment in 2014, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) has been dedicated to promoting the global implementation and application of LEI, including enhancing transparency in financial markets. Following the ISO 17442 standard, the LEI code not only enables consistent and accurate identification of all legal entities, but also enhances transparency and compliance by providing a global identifier for legal entities worldwide. In the GBA medical field, the introduction and application of LEI will significantly promote information interconnectivity among medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and other legal entities, enhancing, as a result, the efficiency and quality of medical services in the region.
Ensuring High-Quality Cross-Border Medical Services
For a long time, Hong Kong’s healthcare services provided by the government-funded public sector have been under great pressure, with tight medical resources and long waiting times for patients seeking treatment. As a result, many Hong Kong residents opt for medical services in the Mainland. As the GBA strategy for regional integration, many Hong Kong residents interested in living, retiring, working, studying or running a business in GBA cities. These individuals face challenges in having their medical records recognized and accessing medical services in Mainland China or vice versa. To facilitate medical service access for residents participating in the pilot conducted in the GBA, the government has implemented a series of policies such as the "Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect" and "Hong Kong Health Care Voucher Scheme," aiming to extend its coverage in the GBA and to benefit Hong Kong residents, especially those elderly Hongkongers who retire in the GBA. The application of innovative technologies which embeds the usage of digital identity certificates and LEI ensures that the qualifications of medical institutions and healthcare professionals in the GBA are recognized, ensuring that their medical reports and diagnoses are accepted by medical institutions in Hong Kong, thus avoiding wasting limited medical resources on unnecessary, duplicated and potential harmful tests, procedures and treatments.
Enhancing Medical Transparency Through Digital Technology
As cross-border medical data sharing and interaction become increasingly prevalent, ensuring the security and accuracy of data becomes paramount. The application of digital technology and LEI codes in medical technology can ensure the authenticity and reliability of each participant’s identity, preventing data breaches, misuse, protecting patients’ privacy and enhance overall information security. By embedding the use of digital identity certificates and LEI into medical technology, it increases transparency and bolster credibility for critical medical documents, such as diagnosis reports, increasing transparency and credibility, similar to the "Health Code" used during the COVID-19 pandemic, which garnered trust from both doctors and patients and could even serve as evidence in court proceedings.
Dr. Ko Wing-man, Honorary President of the Greater Bay Area Medical Professional Development Association, Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Non-Official Member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, emphasized: "By adopting LEI, we hope to achieve a credible digital identity for personnel information and professional qualifications in the medical field, enhancing the credibility and security of information, quickly verifying information, preventing identity fraud and document forgery, to ensure the authenticity and completeness of medical information. This is a process that requires the cooperation of all parties involved, relying on citizens’ use, government policy promotion, and the joining of professionals, making LEI more effective."
Mr. Stephan Wolf, CEO of GLEIF, stressed: "Through GLEIF’s close collaboration with Certizen in this region, LEI and verifiable LEI have become important components of this cross-border medical collaboration, thereby establishing a digital trust ecosystem in the medical field, aimed at supporting medical cooperation innovation and benefiting all medical stakeholders from governments, hospitals, doctors, to patients and other service institutions. The digital trust brought by verifiable LEI is expected to significantly improve the operational efficiency of the GBA’s cross-border medical services industry, achieving the digital exchange of data and documents related to patient health, clinical medical services, and the medical supply chain."
Ms. Eva Chan, founder and CEO of Certizen Technology Limited, also highlighted another significant advantage of this technology: "The integration of LEI into the digital identity framework can streamlines compliance management for medical institutions. In the context of medical collaboration within the GBA, medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies must adhere to the legal frameworks of which they operate, and medical reports may be subjected to complex legal liabilities in cross-border scenarios. However, with digital identity certificates and the LEI, all stakeholders can be effectively identified and the digital medical documents are verifiable while subject to varying regional regulatory requirements, which can ensure the accountability. Users’ right are also protected under the regulation of the Electronic Signature Law of the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong’s Electronic Transactions Ordinance, which foster the confidence for both doctors and patients."
Mr. Eric Siu, founding president of the Greater Bay Area Medical Professional Development Association, held the GBA High-Quality Medical Services Inspection Delegation on April 8, 2024, and released the content of the inspection delegation report questionnaire. The association successfully led alliance members, patients, and professionals to Mainland hospitals offering Hong Kong-style medical services to understand the entire medical process and engage in mutual exchanges and discussions.
From the inspection delegation questionnaire, 100% of the members found the delegation valuable, enhancing their understanding and confidence in the GBA’s medical services. Also, 92% expressed increased interest in seeking medical treatment in the GBA, recognizing that the GBA-CARD medical information service platform provides potential convenience. He stated: "92% of respondents were most interested in the prices of medications and services, and 85% of respondents were concerned with medical services. Other major area of interests include hospital facilities, medical information, and doctors’ lists. In addressing this, the GBA Medical Professional Development Association plans to organize more in-depth inspection delegations in the future, which aims to familiarize more individuals with Mainland hospitals that provide Hong Kong-style medical services, expanding the options for the public and medical professionals."
In summary, the promotion of medical integration in the pilot areas of the GBA with the effective utilization of digital identity and LEI technology represents a significant leap forward towards the digital transformation of the medical field. This approach is expected to address technical and managerial challenges in the medical field, improve mutual recognition of qualifications and medical management, accelerate overall medical integration in the GBA, and ultimately benefit both the government and the public. Looking forward, as application of digital identity and LEI coding becomes more widespread, the GBA’s medical services will achieve greater efficiency, convenience, and safe inter-regional collaboration, providing residents with a higher quality medical service experience.
In this era full of opportunities and challenges, we are committed to strengthening communication and collaboration with Hong Kong and Macau. By embracing digital transformation, we aim to foster deep integration of the medical field in the GBA with an attitude towards openness, cooperations, and a spirit of innovative.
Photo 1: Launch of Pioneering Programs with the Use of Digital Identity and LEI in Medical Integration in the Greater Bay Area: (Left to Right) Mr. Raymond Yip, Chief Representative of Hainan International Economic Development Bureau Hong Kong Office; Mr. Stephan Wolf, CEO of GLEIF; Ms. Eva Chan, CEO of Certizen Technology; and Mr. Eric Siu, Founding President of the Greater Bay Area Medical Professional Development Association
About Certizen Technology
Certizen Technology is a trust service provider that operates in Hong Kong. Certizen Technology ‘s primary mission is to harness state-of-the-art technology to safeguard the identities of business entities in the online world and strive to facilitate secure, privacy-preserving, and trustworthy e-business transactions. The company specializes in utilizing PKI technology, cloud solutions, digital signatures, and other advanced technologies for digital encryption, online transactions, identity authentication, contract verification, and document validation services. Certizen Technology also provides support to users on digital transformation for process improvement and streamlining while fulfilling industries’ regulatory and compliance requirements.
By connecting multiple certification authorities in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas, the company’s solutions leverage the root of digital trust from the certification authorities and GLEIF to provide trusted services with local and global standards incorporated, which have been implemented in various industries to build a secure, efficient, and harmonized ecosystem.
For more information, visit the Certizen Technology website: https://www.certizen.technology/ and the GLEIF official press – Welcomes Certizen Technology as Validation Agent : https://www.gleif.org/en/newsroom/press-releases/gleif-welcomes-certizen-technology-as-validation-agent
About The Greater Bay Area Healthcare Professional Development Association
Mission:
*To build a one-stop platform connecting the healthcare and related industries and assist in the development of Hong Kong’s healthcare services in cities across the Greater Bay Area.
*To facilitate healthcare-related projects and match appropriate resources for implementation in cities across the Greater Bay Area.
*To organize exchange activities and conferences, discuss the healthcare needs of cities in the Greater Bay Area, devise corresponding action plans, and promote healthcare cooperation among the cities.
*To regularly hold seminars and healthcare development forums, continuously enhance the professional standards in healthcare across cities in the Greater Bay Area.
*To promote the development of healthcare in the Greater Bay Area to an international level and extend healthcare services in the Greater Bay Area to the rest of the world.
*To drive the development of healthcare professional services and related technologies in the Greater Bay Area and globally, ensuring that people can enjoy better quality and more affordable health services.
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