In the academic year 2022-23, the Adolescent Health Programme team visited 279 secondary schools in Hong Kong with the aim of promoting psychosocial well-being and equipping students with life skills to better handle stress. However, a closer look reveals that additional efforts are required.
The survey’s findings on health issues such as being overweight and declining vision underscore the necessity of a comprehensive approach to student well-being. Addressing these concerns necessitates collaboration among schools, parents, healthcare professionals, and policymakers.
In conjunction with existing initiatives, it is imperative to prioritize mental health education and awareness programs within schools. Arming students with the tools to recognize and cope with stress, anxiety, and depression can yield a significant impact. Additionally, policymakers should prioritize access to quality healthcare services, including mental health support.
To bolster support for students, the implementation of artificial intelligence-powered programs is crucial. These programs can educate parents on recognizing and addressing mental health issues in their children, utilizing technology to provide accessible resources and guidance.
Moreover, fostering peer support and interaction is vital. Schools can encourage the formation of support groups where students openly discuss challenges and provide mutual support. Peer mentoring programs connecting older students with younger ones can create a sense of community and offer guidance and encouragement.
Allocating more time for meaningful engagement between students and teachers is essential. Reducing the administrative burden on teachers and increasing classroom support staff can enable educators to focus on building strong relationships with students. Achieving this may involve smaller class sizes, facilitating individualized attention, identifying struggling students, and offering timely support.
Learning from successful experiences in other countries can offer valuable insights. Ultimately, addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach involving collaboration among various stakeholders to create a supportive and nurturing educational environment for every student.
Optimizing Sharing of Medical Records through eHealth System
Despite a significant increase in patient enrollment in the eHealth system from 653,717 in 2020 to 5,788,123 in 2023, the usage rate among healthcare professionals remains low. On average, each private healthcare professional utilizes the eHealth app only 15 times a month.
A frontline doctor has highlighted the need for further optimization in sharing medical records through the eHealth system. Currently, patients must authorize each private clinic separately to access and share their medical records via eHealth. Simplifying this process, the eHealth administrator should allow patients to authorize the sharing of all their medical records among all enrolled medical professionals in one go.
Additionally, while healthcare professionals are expected to share medical records in a timely manner, in practice, doctors may experience delays of up to a week before accessing a patient’s updated records from another healthcare provider via eHealth. Setting timelines for record updates could help prevent such delays.
While the government has issued a Code of Practice for Using Electronic Health Records for Healthcare, it primarily addresses technical, logistical, and security issues. The document does not specifically recommend consulting shared eHealth records to make clinical decisions.
To encourage more healthcare professionals to use the eHealth platform, the Health Bureau should support research and provide training on how comprehensive and updated eHealth records can create additional value for medical practitioners. These efforts are essential to ensure that the funding for developing and maintaining the eHealth system is fully justifiable.
