The Government of India initiated the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission (ABDM) on September 27th, 2021. The ABDM aim was to provide an online platform that facilitates interoperability throughout the digital ecosystem. The goal of this mission was to provide all the citizens of India with a digital health ID “Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA)”, formerly known as the Health ID or Health ID Card that will facilitate easy access to medical records. This unique ID can be created by any Indian citizen under the ABDM programme and can be used from anywhere in India. Thus, users can share their health information with medical professionals across India without any geographical barriers. In order to make healthcare safe, secure, and easily available to the right individuals, the digital ABHA acts as a bridge between many stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.

The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is an initiative launched by the government under the ABDM. It is a unique identifier that uses a 14-digit identification ABHA number and ABHA Address, a self-declared username. For an example ABHA number would look like 70 7463 2446 5247, and ABHA address would be JohnDoe154@abdm. Indian citizens can create their unique ABHA without any cost.

Maintaining all the past medical reports when visiting a primary care physician or when traveling to a new place can be hectic. It would be a lot more convenient if all medical information was stored digitally and accessed or shared on a need basis. Keeping this in mind, the Indian government launched a digital initiative “Ayushman Bharat Health Account” a universal health ID.

ABHA standardizes the identification process of an individual across healthcare providers. It ensures that the created health records are issued to the right individual, and most importantly, accessed by appropriate Health Information Users through valid consent.

To generate and issue the ABHA number/address to a user, certain basic details must be collected during the individual ABHA creation including demographic information, location, contact details. If needed, users can update contact information easily once the ABHA is created.

The ABHA number/address will be used for the purposes of uniquely identifying the individual, authenticating them, and linking their health records with the informed consent across multiple systems and stakeholders.

• Simple and Hassle free sign up. Create ABHA Now
• Users may opt in and opt out from the ABDM network at any given point of time.
• Users can link Personal Health Records (PHR) with ABHA number/address.
• Users may securely store, share, and access their health records like laboratory tests reports, diagnostic reports, medicine prescriptions, etc., in a few clicks across India.
• Users can connect with the doctors digitally in a safe and secure online environment hassle free even in new localities.
• Users can avail the AYUSH treatment facilities including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.
• Healthcare professionals can access a user’s health record only if the consent is granted by the patient to access the requested information.
• Users can manage or revoke the consent that is given to a health information user to access the health record; it may be to a physician, clinic, hospital, insurance provider, whenever required.
• Empowers the users with timely updation and information of one’s health data in a seamless manner.
• Robust security, encryption mechanisms, and no information can be shared without the consent of anyone are the salient features of ABHA.

ABHA number/address can be created via different modes like Aadhar, driving license, PAN either by self-registration or Assisted registration with the help of authorized ABDM partners.

1. Self-Registration

Here ABHA Number/address is created by the user himself/herself by

• via ABDM partner portal (Create ABHA) or
• via government ABDM portal or
• via ABDM compatible Personal Health Record (PHR) mobile app

2. Assisted Registration

Here ABHA Number/address is created by the Healthcare providers on behalf of the patients. Every ABHA is created only after the proper explanation on the ABHA number/address, benefits, voluntary opt in & out option and obtaining a consent.

Assisted Registration will be helpful to elderly, digitally illiterate and those with mobile phones. If the user has registered for ABHA at ABDM partnered facility then they will receive an ABHA number/address card and QR for it. If the patient already has the hospital specific card then the ABHA number and QR code will be included on the hospital specific card.

Creating Via Aadhaar

Aadhaar number is used to register the ABHA number/address, provided it is linked to the mobile number. This is required for OTP authentication. If a mobile number is not linked to Aadhaar, users can seek assistance from an ABDM participating facility. An Aadhaar linked ABHA Number will be created only after a successful Aadhaar eKYC which requires a OTP or biometric based authentication. As per the guideline by the ABDM the Aadhar number should not be stored by the ABDM partnered facility. Creating ABHA via Aadhar is an instantaneous process no manual verification by the authorities require.

Creating Via Driving Licence/PAN

Here the user’s mobile number, driving license and demographic details (name, gender, date of birth) are captured to create the ABHA.

Post submission, an enrollment number is issued and manual verification of the identity is done. On completion ABHA will be generated.

If the enrollment is done via self-mode, then the user must visit any ABDM partnered facility and identification verification must be done.

If the enrollment is done via assisted mode, then the health care workers/Facility Managers will enable the manual verification of the driving license /PAN, and then ABHA will be created