Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital receives the 2024 Vietnam Medical Achievement Award with two smart healthcare solutions
On February 26, 2025, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital was honored with two 2024 Vietnam Medical Achievement Awards, recognizing its outstanding contributions in the field of digital health transformation and improving hospital management quality. The two projects honored include:
1. Second prize: A breakthrough solution in clinical data coding of electronic medical records using SNOMED CT.
2. Third prize: Application of information technology in the management and effective implementation of hospital pharmacy work.
SNOMED CT Application – Standardizing clinical data, enhancing the quality of electronic medical records
Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital is a pioneering hospital in the application of SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms) – an electronic clinical terminology coded to international standards, helping to standardize medical record data, optimize treatment processes, and enhance the ability to link health information among healthcare facilities.
In Vietnam, SNOMED CT is being implemented through the Better Health Programme (Better Health Programme – BHP) funded by the United Kingdom Government, according to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Health of Vietnam and the UK Foreign Office on 15/07/2020. The programme has supported the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City in establishing an SNOMED CT browser server to quickly retrieve coded data, serving treatment work and health management.
Since August 2022, the Hospital has officially applied SNOMED CT to its electronic medical record system, standardizing the recording of clinical data across all clinical departments throughout the hospital. To date, the Hospital has standardized more than 80 medical record templates with SNOMED CT, ensuring consistency of electronic medical record data, supporting accurate diagnosis, improving the efficiency of health information management, and paving the way for nationwide interoperability of health care data.
Application of information technology in drug management and use – Enhancing treatment safety
Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital is also honored with an information technology application solution in the management and effective implementation of hospital pharmacy work, helping to enhance the efficiency of drug supply and usage throughout the hospital.
Since 2017, the drug usage management feature has been integrated into the electronic medical record, synchronizing the entire process from procurement, storage, dispensing to drug use across all departments and wards. This solution brings many breakthrough benefits:
Reduces prescribing and medication errors, enhancing treatment safety.
Shortens drug information processing time, enabling doctors and pharmacists to monitor medication usage more accurately.
Strengthens drug management, optimizing supply and stockpiling of medicines in the hospital.
The system also supports clinical pharmacy, helping to monitor rational drug use, while integrating medication data with specialty medical records, creating an intelligent healthcare information ecosystem that meets the increasingly high treatment demands.
Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Hoang Bac, Director of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City says: “The two smart healthcare solutions honored at the 2024 Medical Achievement Awards are a recognition of the hospital's continuous efforts in research, technology application, and innovation. We are ready to share experiences with other medical facilities nationwide, as the common goal is to improve the quality of health care services for the community.”
The Vietnam Medical Achievement Awards 2024, held for the fifth time, is a prestigious event that honors outstanding medical achievements nationwide. This year’s award theme is “Smart Healthcare,” aligning with the digital transformation trend in the health sector, contributing to improved quality of medical services and optimized health care processes. This year, 68 products were registered from 34 medical units; after preliminary screening, 27 products were selected for the final voting round. Among them, the top 20 outstanding medical achievements were honored.
