The Ministry of Health is gathering public feedback on a draft circular that would allow inter-hospital use of over 1,000 diagnostic test and imaging results nationwide.

According to the draft, the circular outlines a list of nearly 1,100 laboratory and imaging services, including biochemical, hematological, microbiological, molecular biology, pathology, and radiological tests, along with conditions for mutual recognition of these results among medical facilities.

In terms of laboratory testing, the proposed list includes 40 biochemical tests, 55 hematology tests, 26 microbiology procedures, 86 genetic and molecular biology tests, and 14 pathology diagnostics.

Medical facilities will be required to publicly self-assess their testing quality. Results may be recognized if the facility is certified with a quality level of 1 or higher, according to Decision No. 2429/QD-BYT dated June 12, 2017. Recognition follows the principle of mutual acknowledgment between labs of the same quality tier, and lower-tier labs must accept results from higher-tier ones.

Ultimately, physicians treating patients hold the authority to decide whether to use external test results or request a repeat test based on the patient’s clinical condition and progress.

Imaging results and legal conditions

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The Ministry of Health proposes a broad list of test results to be shared. Photo: Thu Ngo.

The draft includes 893 imaging procedures. Diagnostic imaging results - including digital data, written reports, and conclusions - will form part of the medical record and be legally valid if performed at licensed facilities, properly signed (manually or electronically) by both the imaging and diagnosing physicians.

Receiving facilities may use these results as a reference or for treatment, without requiring a repeat test if the quality and legal standards are met.

For imaging data, images must be intact, clear, and complete in sequence or phases (such as CT, MRI, DSA). Data must be in standard DICOM format and accompanied by compatible viewing software or integrated into the hospital’s PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). Shared images must include patient ID, scan date, and identifying information.

The transferring facility must send both a hardcopy report and digital imaging data, along with the medical record. The patient's information on images must match the medical record exactly. Editing or cropping image data is strictly prohibited.

Receiving facilities may reuse imaging results if they meet the required standards. However, they may still order a repeat scan if the patient’s clinical condition has changed, if the previous data is outdated, or if the image quality is insufficient or incomplete. Re-imaging is also allowed if there are doubts about patient identity consistency.

Phuong Thuy