Centre's new health app 'ABHA' for all medical records

The National Health Authority (NHA) has revamped its Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) mobile application with a new user interface (UI) and added functionalities that enable individuals to access their health records anytime and anywhere.

The ABHA mobile app, previously known as NDHM Health Records app, allows its existing users to update their previous app versions to the latest one. The new version of ABHA app allows an individual to create an ABHA address (username@abdm), an easy to remember username that can be linked with the 14 digit randomly generated ABHA number.

The mobile application enables users to link their health records created at the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) compliant health facility and view them in their smartphones. ABDM is the government’s flagship programme that aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. It is expected to bridge the existing gaps among different stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.

The mobile app, developed under ABDM, allows self-uploading of physical health records in the ABDM compliant health lockers along with sharing of digital health records such as diagnostic reports, prescriptions, CoWIN vaccination certificate, etc, after the consent of an individual through the ABDM network.

“The ABHA app will be instrumental in helping citizens to create their longitudinal health records. The patients can access their health records with the help of their ABHA address in seconds, which will empower them in many ways. It will enable them to save their health history on a single platform and access or share their health records anytime and anywhere without a worry of losing them. This digitisation of data exchange will ensure better clinical decision making and continuum of care,” says R.S. Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority (NHA).

The new version of ABHA mobile application has new functionalities such as edit profile, link and unlink ABHA number (14 digit) with ABHA address. Other functionalities such as login via face authentication/ fingerprint/ biometric and ability to scan QR code at the counter of the ABDM compliant facility for express registration, will be made available soon, the NHA says.

The mobile App can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Over four lakh downloads have happened since the launch. An iOS version of the ABHA mobile app will be launched shortly, the NHA adds.