Speaker: Dr. Tran Anh Tu (NIHE) and Dr. Ha Minh Thuy, College of Health Sciences

Abstract: During COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies have been applied widely over the world to improve prevention and control of the disease. In Vietnam, despite the low healthcare setting with limited resources, many digitalizing solutions have been developed and applied to produce timely information for early response. Our report was conducted to describe how information technology, related to data entry, data management, data analysis as well as making decisions based on the data, was applied to prevent and control the COVID-19 outbreaks in Vietnam from 2020 to 2021. In general, at provincial levels and the lower, most of the information collected from the field were written into paper forms and afterwards, manually input into separated spreadsheet files for management. Thus, there were limitations in collaboration for data sharing and data analysis, leading to difficulties in generating timely reports for early decision making. While applying information technology for the improvement, the more familiar, flexible and free solutions were more likely to be accepted and maintained by the users at the local levels, especially when there was no supervision from experts. The root causes could be low informatic capability among local healthcare staff, poor infrastructures related to information technology, and difficulties in finance mechanisms. In conclusion, in COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies should be exploited for better outcomes of prevention and control. However, for the highest feasibility and acceptability in the solutions, understanding thoroughly the stakeholders’ desires and analysing deeply the current process were essential.

About the Speakers:

• Mr. Tran Anh Tu is an epidemiologist, specialized in data management and analysis, in the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE). He is also a mentor of Vietnam Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). Currently, during the pandemic, he is serving as a member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the Ministry of Health. He is also supporting the Information Rapid Response Unit of the National Steering Committee, which apply Information Technology into COVID-19 prevention and control. Mr. Tran Anh Tu completed the preventive medicine doctor in the Hanoi Medical University (HMU) and studied higher for the Master of International Health at KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is interested in health information system. With nearly 10 years frequently working at the fields, he is experienced on applying information technology adaptation process to improve the quality of local public health services as well as the efficiency of utilizing human resources. Specifically, during the pandemic of COVID-19, where information is essential for early detection and risk assessment, he has designed many tools and applications for lower-level units to collect the data from the fields with limited resources and nearly no cost. For training, with experience of a mentor of FETP, his pedagogical philosophy is to simulate the real-life situations to help the trainees gain the knowledge by their own problem-solving skill and creativity.
• Dr. Ha Minh Thuy currently serves as the Curriculum Development Manager of MD program, College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity. After graduation in 2011, Dr Thuy had experience working in Oncology departments of several hospitals in Vietnam and overseas. Within the current position, Dr Thuy has made a significant contribution in the designing of the MD program curriculum and student enrollment. She is the second Vietnamese to be accepted in the International Fellowship program at FAIMER Institute, Philadelphia, US with a fully funded scholarship. This program focuses on health professional education and is supported by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, which is a non – profit foundation of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Currently, Dr Thuy is also holding membership recognized by multiple professional associations in Medical Education such as AMEE, TUFH, MWIA, and Penn Global Health Scholar.