Telehealth (“Y tế từ xa”) means the exchange of information related to an individual’s health between a medical professional and an individual or among medical professionals at different locations through the means of information technology and telecommunications. The COVID-19 pandemic has further demonstrated the need for the development of telehealth to support social distancing measures, in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission, to maintain and enhance the quality of essential medical services, and – indirectly – to improve the quality of people’s treatment and healthcare.

Therefore, the development of telehealth has been prioritized by the Government for investment and initial implementation in the Programme of National Digital Transformation to 2025, with a vision to 2030 (Decision No. 749/QD-TTg, dated June 3rd, 2020, on Approving the Programme of National Digital Transformation to 2025, with a vision to 2030). In order to promote the application of information technology in caring for people, on March 8th, 2022 the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 318/QD-TTg on the Promulgation of the National Criteria for New Rural Communes and the enhanced National Criteria for Advanced New Rural Communes for the period 2021-2025, which includes criterion no. 14.3 stipulating that the percentage of people participating in and using telemedicine applications is to reach >40% (applicable to both men and women) for advanced new rural communes in all regions of the country.

Accompanying the Ministry of Health in the development of telehealth, from December 2020 the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) coordinated closely with the Electronic Health Agency (EHA, now the National Health Information Centre) of the Ministry of Health and the Departments of Health (DOH) of Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Lang Son provinces to implement the Project on Telemedicine Consultation at the Grassroots Level using the Software “Doctor for Everyone” (called the Project in this report). The software “Doctor for Everyone” has been developed utilising web and smartphone platforms, with the functions of booking appointments at commune health stations (CHS), conducting consultations or online meetings with video, and allowing multi-point calls. Through the software “Doctor for Everyone”, the Project has helped connect health workers in Commune Health Stations (CHS) with higher-level medical units to conduct periodic briefings, professional activities, and remote consultations. At the same time, with the goal of “leaving no one behind”, the Project has also helped connect people – especially people in remote and mountainous areas, ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities – with health workers at the CHS for health advice, appointment booking and remote medical examination and treatment. The previous assessment report, for the period 2020-2022, shows that the implementation process in three provinces achieved positive results; moreover, when expanded, provinces could achieve criterion No. 14.3 on advanced new rural communes.

In order to maintain and replicate the effectiveness of the Project on Telemedicine Consultation at the Grassroots Level using the Software “Doctor for Everyone”, on August 8th, 2022, UNDP sent an official note to the Viet Nam Ministry of Health (MOH) requesting continued coordination for the next stage of implementation in five provinces, including Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak and Ca Mau. To evaluate the implementation results, and find out the shortcomings, difficulties and advantages and lessons learned during implementation in the five abovementioned provinces and the ability to maintain and expand the telehealth programme on a national scale, UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Health has implemented this Evaluation of the Project on Telemedicine Consultation at the grassroots Level using the Software “Doctor for Everyone” implemented by UNDP in collaboration with MOH and the five provinces of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak and Ca Mau.