Korea to launch medical system that allows hospitals to share patients' histories
Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 14:00
![Patients wait for treatment at a children's hospital in Osan, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 28, 2025. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/24/bb26d9d7-cefa-4a7a-a726-12ef0cd723b5.jpg)
Patients wait for treatment at a children's hospital in Osan, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 28, 2025. [NEWS1]
Korea will roll out a real-time information-sharing system that enables doctors to access patients’ treatment and prescription histories across medical institutions to curb cases of redundant treatments and insurance payouts.
According to its 2026 policy briefing, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), the agency that reviews national health insurance claims, will develop the digital platform. Authorities plan to launch the system nationwide in 2027.
Under the current system, doctors often rely on patients to recount their own treatment histories, making it difficult to verify whether similar tests or medications have already been administered or prescribed at another institution. This has led to patients receiving repeated examinations and prescriptions for drugs with identical active ingredients, raising concerns about patient safety and unnecessary strain on the national health insurance system.
The government amended the National Health Insurance Act late last year to provide a legal basis for HIRA to operate the verification system. This revised law will take effect on Dec. 24.
HIRA will begin detailed preparations in the first half of this year. It plans to establish criteria for identifying categories of excessive medical use and form a committee to review and finalize those standards by July.
The agency will also determine which services qualify as redundant treatments and set appropriate limits — rather than blanket restrictions —on the number of procedures per patient, aiming to promote data-driven, appropriate care.
![The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's building is pictured in this photo provided by the agency. [HEALTH INSURANCE REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT SERVICE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/24/b35e1c52-aeca-4fe2-ab90-119820e0755e.jpg)
The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's building is pictured in this photo provided by the agency. [HEALTH INSURANCE REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT SERVICE]
The agency aims to complete system development by November. Hospitals and clinics will then be able to access and verify patients’ treatment records in real time.
To prepare medical providers, HIRA will hold briefings from July to September, during which it will outline the targeted services and system usage. It plans to conduct a pilot program in November and December to test operational stability and data security in clinical settings before launching the system nationwide in 2027.
Officials expect the system to reduce the number of unnecessary repeated tests and the risk of adverse effects from redundant prescriptions, easing costs and time burdens for patients.
“The real-time medical information sharing system will serve as a key foundation for guiding treatments and strengthening patient safety,” a HIRA representative said. “We will thoroughly prepare and verify the system to gain the trust of both the public and the medical community.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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