Bengaluru: Patients visiting govt hospitals in Karnataka may soon no longer need to carry previous prescriptions or medical records. The govt is preparing to roll out a statewide digital health record system that will enable doctors at healthcare facilities to access a patient’s medical history electronically. Access to the records will be granted only with the patient’s consent, authenticated through an OTP-based verification process.The initiative, expected to begin rolling out early next year, combines Samasta, a mobile application used by frontline health workers, with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)-compliant Hospital Management Systems (HMS) that are being introduced in govt hospitals. Together, they aim to create interoperable digital health records that can be accessed across the state’s public healthcare network.Officials said the first round of HMS pilots, conducted across Tumakuru, Udupi, Ballari and Dharwad, ran between June 2025 and Feb this year. A second pilot is under way in Vijayapura, Davanagere ,and Mysuru, and is expected to conclude in two months.“We plan to float tenders by Oct. After the procurement process, implementation can begin early next year, although it will likely take about a year for hospitals to fully adopt the new system,” an official said.The digital ecosystem is designed to connect healthcare right from the village level.At the heart of the community component is Samasta, an application used by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Community Health Officers (CHOs). During household visits, health workers create digital family health profiles using the state’s Kutumba database. Based on age, gender and programme eligibility, beneficiaries are automatically mapped to services such as maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, family planning and screening for non-communicable diseases.Officials said the system is intended to significantly reduce paperwork for frontline workers.“Earlier, ASHAs maintained multiple registers and later entered the same information into different govt portals. Samasta allows data to be entered once, while reporting happens automatically in the background,” the official said.The department is also testing whether information collected through Samasta can seamlessly integrate with hospital records. In a pilot under way in Udupi, officials are examining whether details of a patient referred by an ASHA to a govt hospital can automatically flow back into the community health platform, allowing referrals and incentives to be recorded without additional paperwork.Unlike Karnataka’s earlier digitisation efforts, the new model does not rely on a single software provider.The state previously used the National Informatics Centre’s (NIC) e-Hospital platform, but officials said implementation challenges prompted a shift in strategy. The govt now plans to empanel multiple ABDM-compliant Hospital Management System vendors through a competitive tender.Four vendors participated in the first pilot and three in the second.“We don’t want vendor lock-in. Hospitals may use different software providers, but because all of them follow ABDM interoperability standards, patient information can move seamlessly between systems,” the official said.The Hospital Management System will digitise outpatient registration, inpatient care, pharmacy, laboratory services, and other hospital functions. It will also support Scan and Share, an ABDM feature that enables patients to register for outpatient consultations by scanning a QR code instead of standing in registration queues.The entire system revolves around the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) number, which acts as a unique digital health identifier. Medical records generated through Samasta or the Hospital Management System will be linked to the patient’s ABHA ID. When a patient visits another hospital, doctors will be able to access previous records only after obtaining the patient’s consent.Officials said patients, not hospitals or the govt, will retain ownership of their health records, which will be stored in a Personal Health Records (PHR) application under the ABDM framework.The department is also exploring the use of tablets for doctors so they can access and update patient records while conducting ward rounds. Officials said no decision has been taken on procurement but identified hardware availability and internet connectivity as the two biggest challenges before statewide implementation.How does it work1. Patient visits a govt health facility2. Patient’s ABHA ID is verified through an OTP or created if he/she does not have one3. With the patient’s consent, doctors can view previous health records4. Consultation, tests, prescriptions, and treatment details are entered into the digital system5. The latest medical info is added to the patient’s Personal Health Record6. During the next govt hospital visit, doctors can access the updated records again
