Bulgaria to launch medical data online access portal

2010-02-10

The Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund (the NHIF) has announced that it is ready to launch its new internet portal, which will allow all patients covered by obligatory national health insurance to access their electronic medical files by the end of February. The NHIF estimates that there are 6.5 million potential users of the website. The portal will allow patients to ensure that all medical care they receive is registered, and will alert the NHIF when doctors assign fictitious treatments and procedures, which should help significantly to reduce fraud. Doctors' reports to the NHIF for work undertaken will also be rendered much more efficient by the e-portal service.
The development of the website will cost BGN 450,000 (€230,100).
In the last edition of an annual ranking of health systems in Europe prepared by the Health Consumer Powerhouse, the more widespread application of electronic e-health systems in comparison with previous years was described as the only positive aspect of Bulgaria’s performance, whereas all of the other analysed factors were evaluated negatively, with the country falling short of others in Central and Eastern Europe. (see the feature “CEE healthcare systems affected by the crisis, but Czech Republic comparatively unperturbed” for more details on this topic)