TY - JOUR T1 - Digital marketplace to improve healthcare access and transparency in Vietnam JF - BMJ Innovations JO - BMJ Innov SP - s16 LP - s18 DO - 10.1136/bmjinnov-2021-000694 VL - 7 IS - Suppl 1 AU - Beth Ann Lopez AU - Minh Le Viet AU - An Pham Le Y1 - 2021/03/01 UR - http://innovations.bmj.com/content/7/Suppl_1/s16.abstract N2 - Summary boxWhat are the new findings?Patients in Vietnam are more likely to report satisfaction with healthcare services if given a simple digital platform to find, book and compare options.Healthcare providers that struggle to find new clients benefit from an open platform specifically for connecting patients to professionals.How might it impact on healthcare in the future?Digital marketplaces can help people access healthcare far more conveniently thanks to widespread smartphone penetration, similarly to how ride-hailing startups transformed access to transportation.Such digital solutions may help healthcare providers better use digital technology to expand their client base beyond word-of-mouth circles.Vietnam’s private medical sector is thriving, with per capita health spending doubling over the last decade.1 2 Since the government legalised private healthcare services in 1989 as part of wide-ranging Doi Moi reforms, the sector has experienced ‘dramatic’ expansion with 35 000 clinics and 240 hospitals, up from only one private hospital in 1996.3 While a large majority of Vietnam’s more than 280 000 hospital beds are public,4 private healthcare now accounts for 32.2% of total outpatient services and 6.3% of inpatient services, and is growing fast, with about 1300 new private clinics and 10 new private hospitals opening every year.5 While the outlook for the private healthcare market is positive, the presence of tens of thousands of small private clinics and hospitals across the country mean that fragmentation is an underlying issue. Quickly comparing a multitude of doctors based on basic criteria like price, quality, specialty and location is difficult.6 Booking an appointment can be even harder, leading many patients to skip this step altogether and gather in crowded waiting rooms. For doctors, finding new clients online is a sometimes confusing and expensive experience (online supplemental material 1). Meanwhile, stigma against accessing mental and sexual health services remains common.7 8 Supplementary data [bmjinnov-2021-000694supp001.pdf] This manuscript describes an online healthcare marketplace, … ER -