Thailand Launches 'Caregiver on Mor Prom' Using Digital ID for Elderly and Vulnerable

The Thai government is moving forward with the "Caregiver on Mor Prom" service, utilizing Digital ID to facilitate healthcare access for the elderly and vulnerable. This new initiative allows family members or authorized caregivers to manage health services on behalf of individuals who have limitations in using digital services themselves. According to Ms. Lalida Pherdwitthawana, Deputy Government Spokesperson, the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), is enhancing digital healthcare services through the "Mor Prom" application. The "Caregiver" feature is designed to assist family members or designated caregivers in handling health matters for the elderly, bedridden patients, individuals with disabilities, and minors. The key feature of this service is the use of Digital ID to verify the caregiver's identity, their relationship with the care recipient, and their authorization to act on their behalf. This eliminates the need for caregivers to share the patient's account, thereby enhancing the security of sensitive personal health data and providing an auditable trail of who acted and when. Once verified and assigned a Health ID, caregivers can add care recipients to the system. The system cross-references data with the civil registration database to confirm the relationship. Upon successful verification, caregivers can access services within the defined scope and conditions, such as scheduling doctor's appointments, checking service queues, viewing vaccination history, obtaining laboratory test results, and accessing other health information supported by the healthcare provider. Ms. Lalida stated that the "Caregiver" service represents a significant step in developing digital healthcare services, making public health services more accessible for the elderly and vulnerable populations. It also aims to protect the rights and privacy of data owners, reduce travel burdens, alleviate hospital congestion, and improve the efficiency of medical personnel. Currently, the Ministry of Public Health is developing guidelines for caregivers who may not have a direct familial relationship or whose relationship cannot be verified through the civil registration database. Plans are also underway to link data for caregivers of individuals with disabilities, bedridden patients, and Village Health Volunteers (VHVs). In the future, the aim is to integrate Health IDs and Care Receiver IDs with the "Tang Rat" application to create a comprehensive digital government service ecosystem. "The government is committed to upgrading government services with digital technology, prioritizing public convenience while protecting personal data. The Caregiver on Mor Prom service is another tool that will make it easier for the elderly and vulnerable to access healthcare services through properly authenticated and secure caregivers," Ms. Lalida added. As the Caregiver service is still in its pilot phase, the public is advised to follow announcements from the Ministry of Public Health, the Mor Prom application, and their respective healthcare facilities regarding the areas and services available, as each hospital may offer different functionalities based on system readiness and service capacity.