Know all about the Myths and Realities about ABHA and Ayushman Bharat here…

Read in Hindi: जानिए आयुष्मान भारत स्वास्थ्य खाता की ये खास बातें...

Myth 1: Does getting an ABHA Number mean enrolment in Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)?

Reality: No, ABHA is just an account/number used to link all the health records of a person.

Myth 2: What is not entailed under the Ayushman Bharat Health Account?

Reality: Ayushman Bharat Health Account does not mean the eligibility of a person for the particular scheme including AB-PMJAY. Ayushman Bharat Health Account is not a replacement of current CGHS services or a replacement of current CGHS HMIS. Rather it is an addition/add-on to the current services offered by CGHS.

Myth 3: I am afraid that by linking all my health records to my ABHA other doctors may be in a position to see all my medical History which I don’t want to show. How can this be prevented?

Reality: The consent provided digitally need not be for all the health records linked to ABHA at a time. It can be provided for sharing only selected health records as per the patient's choice. Therefore, by linking all your health records to your ABHA you will not end up sharing all your health records when providing consent. The consent is granular “which can be provided separately for each of the health records as per the wish of the patient”. However, it is recommended that you provide consent to share all health records with your doctor so that he can make correct clinical decisions.

Myth 4: Is it possible for the government or any other entity to do surveillance of the health status of an individual through ABDM?

Reality: No. The health records are created and stored at the place of their creation by respective healthcare providers. ABDM is creating interoperable platforms for linking these data repositories/fiduciaries. This is known as federated architecture. This means that the health records will continue to be processed and stored at the same place where they are created, which has been happening before ABDM as well. The government will not have access to such data. No additional means of accessing such data is being created or envisaged in the current ecosystem.

Myth 5: Will my Digital health Records be shared with other doctors or health facilities without my permission?

Reality: No. Only you can share your records with other doctors/hospitals using different digital health systems after giving your consent.

Myth 6: How will the government use my data?

Reality: Protocols for anonymization and aggregation of data and use of such data will be defined after extensive stakeholder consultations. After that, anonymous records can be used by the government to make policies and other relevant interventions in the interests of the public. Till this is done, health records will not be used by the government.

Myth 7: Are my health records safe and Secure on ABDM System?

Reality: ABDM does not store any medical records. These are always created and stored by healthcare providers as per their retention policies, which will continue. ABDM only facilitates secure data exchange between the intended stakeholders on the ABDM network after the patient’s consent. Hence, through ABDM-compliant applications, patients will also be able to choose which health records they want to link with their Health IDs, securely store their digital health records on their devices, securely access their records online, and securely share their health records with healthcare providers after the patient’s consent. Only the data collected for registries such as the Health ID registry, Healthcare Professional Registry and Healthcare Facility Registry is stored centrally. These datasets must be stored centrally because they are essential to provide interoperability, trust, and identification and a single source of truth across different digital health systems. This data is stored and processed securely and safely.

Myth 8: Can ABHA be used outside the government hospital/CGHS?

Reality: Yes, ABHA can be used outside the government hospital/ program. However, it is up to the private players to decide whether they want to use it or not. For example, a private hospital may decide to use ABHA for the creation and linking of health records. If the patient is not willing to use ABHA, the hospital/ program may provide an alternate number which they are using as part of their existing system.