ABHA Registration: Everything you need to know about it!

Whenever you do a diagnostic test, you may store the report safely for a few months or a year. Post that, you will usually discard it. You may do the same thing with the medical records after being discharged from a hospital. When regularly or deep cleaning the house, you usually discard many documents, including medical ones. If the old medical records/reports have to be reviewed by a medical professional, they are unavailable as they have been discarded. Many people face this issue. It is one reason why the Government has developed the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to create India's digital health ecosystem wherein all medical records at be stored in digital format. In this article, you will learn about the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), its benefits, and how to create it.

What is the purpose of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)?

Technology has helped us to digitise many of our documents related to various areas. With the ABDM, the Government aims to digitise medical records of all individuals. The ABDM was launched on 27th September 2021. Some of the purposes that it will serve for citizens include the following:

• All the medical records can be stored in digital format, doing away with the need to maintain physical records
• The individual can easily retrieve their medical records whenever required
• Based on consent, the individual can share the medical records with medical professionals
• Provide individuals with a registry of doctors, nurses, clinics, hospitals, diagnostic centres, etc.

Individuals can keep their medical records in digital format in an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA). These records can include consultation details with a doctor, diagnostic test reports, medicine prescriptions, documents of any hospitalisation, etc.

How to create an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA)

You can create an ABHA with your Aadhaar details or Driving Licence.

With Aadhaar details, the ABHA can be created instantly by taking the following steps:

• Visit the ABHA website: https://abha.abdm.gov.in/abha/v3/ or download the ABHA App
• Click on the “Create ABHA Number” link
• From the ABHA creation options (Aadhaar or Driving Licence), select Aadhaar
• When you choose Aadhaar, on the next screen, you need to enter your Aadhaar number, read the terms and give consent.
• An OTP will be sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number. Enter the OTP and submit. Your Aadhaar will be authenticated.
• In the next step, enter your mobile number and submit. An OTP will be sent to your mobile number. Enter the OTP and submit.
• On the next screen, the ABHA form will be displayed. Your personal details will be pre-populated from your Aadhaar card details.
• In the next step, you need to create your ABHA address and set a password.
• Once you submit the details, the ABHA number will be generated, and the ABHA Card will be displayed. You can download a copy of the ABHA Card.
• From the "My Account" link, you can perform various actions like editing your profile, changing password, updating mobile number, doing re-KYC verification, deactivating and deleting the ABHA Account.

Apart from the ABHA website and App, you can also visit an ABDM-registered health facility to create your ABHA number.

With the Driving Licence option, you need to take the following steps:

• Visit the ABHA website: https://abha.abdm.gov.in/abha/v3/ or download the ABHA App
• Click on the “Create ABHA Number” link
• From the ABHA creation options (Aadhaar or Driving Licence), select Driving Licence
• Enter your mobile number, read the terms, and give your consent.
• An OTP will be sent to your mobile number. Enter the OTP and submit.
• On the profile page, enter your personal details and upload a copy of your Driving Licence.
• On submission of details, you will get an enrolment number.
• Visit the nearby ABDM-registered participating facility, provide your enrolment number, and get your ABHA number.

The ABHA is a 14-digit unique number given to each individual participating in India's digital healthcare ecosystem.

Benefits of ABHA

The ABHA can be your single digital account to assess all health services. You can safely store all your medical records at a single location and access them whenever you wish. You can do consent-based and time-bound sharing of your medical records with verified healthcare providers through ABHA.

With access to all your medical records at a single location, the doctor can get a complete view of your medical history. It will result in better clinical decision-making and appropriate treatment. With ABHA, you can share information with doctors anywhere across India. Imagine a situation wherein you fall ill or meet with an accident during a vacation in a city far from your home town. The doctor needs to access your medical records. No one carries their physical medical records on a vacation. However, with ABHA, you can share your medical records with the doctor at the click of a button.

Apart from ABHA, two other important components of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) include the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR) and the Health Facility Registry (HFR). The Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR) is a compilation of the details of all healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, etc. The Health Facility Registry (HFR) is a compilation of all Government and private healthcare facilities, such as clinics, hospitals, diagnostic centres, etc.

Opting out of ABHA

While ABHA is a useful system to store all your medical records at a single location, participation in it is voluntary. Similarly, you can opt out of it anytime. You can deactivate your account temporarily or even delete it permanently.

ABHA is a win-win for all stakeholders

The ABHA is an excellent initiative by the Government to create India's digital health ecosystem. It helps citizens by allowing them to store all their medical records at a single location and do consent-based sharing. Doctors can access a patient's medical history and decide on the appropriate treatment. Apart from patients and doctors, the digital health ecosystem also benefits other stakeholders like hospitals, diagnostic centres, and Central and State Governments in decision-making. Thus, it is a win-win for all stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who can apply for an ABHA number?

ABHA registration is open for all Indian citizens

For which forms of treatment can ABHA be used?

Along with allopathy treatments, ABHA can be used for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy) treatments.

Is it compulsory to register for ABHA?

Participation in ABHA is entirely voluntary. Also, once you open an ABHA, you can temporarily deactivate or delete it permanently.

Can any doctor or hospital access my medical history from ABHA?

No. A doctor or hospital can access your medical records only after you provide consent. You can decide which records to give access to. Also, you can revoke access at any time.

What is the application fee for the ABHA Card?

The ABHA Card can be generated free of cost. There is no application fee.