ABDM for Hospitals and Clinics: ABHA, HFR, HPR and M1–M3 Explained

What is ABDM?

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is the Government of India's programme to build a connected digital health system. It is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. ABDM does not store a central copy of everyone's medical records. Instead, it provides identities, registries and standards so that records kept by different hospitals, labs and apps can be found and shared when the patient gives consent.

For a hospital or clinic, ABDM has three practical parts: a digital identity for each patient (ABHA), registries for facilities and professionals (HFR and HPR), and a consent-based way to share and receive records, which software vendors implement in stages called milestones. Short definitions of these terms are in our glossary.

Official sources: abdm.gov.in and the National Health Authority at nha.gov.in.

ABHA: the patient's health account

ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) is a 14-digit health ID that a person can create using Aadhaar, a driving licence or other supported methods. A person can also have an easy-to-remember ABHA address, similar to an e-mail address, used to receive and share records. Patients can create an ABHA themselves at abha.abdm.gov.in or through a hospital's software at registration.

Creating an ABHA is voluntary for citizens. When a patient does have one, linking it to their hospital record lets the patient later see that visit's records in an ABDM-enabled app and share them with another doctor, always with their consent.

HFR and HPR: the registries

A facility registers at the Health Facility Registry and receives a facility ID. Doctors register at the Healthcare Professionals Registry. Your software then uses the facility ID when it creates ABHA links and shares records on your behalf.

Milestones M1, M2 and M3 explained

ABDM describes software integration in milestones. Software vendors build and test each milestone in the ABDM sandbox (sandbox.abdm.gov.in) and then apply to go live. The milestones describe what the software can do, not a grade for the hospital.

ABDM also includes related services, such as Scan and Share, where a patient scans the facility's QR code at the OPD to share their ABHA details for faster registration, and the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) for digital insurance claims, which matters to your hospital billing team. Our guide to NHCX for hospitals explains how claims move through it. Our guide to PM-JAY, TPA and insurance claims explains the claim side. Ask your software vendor which of these they support today.

The Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS)

The NHA launched the Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) with effect from 1 January 2023 to encourage digital health adoption. Under the scheme, eligible hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs, pharmacies and digital solution companies can earn financial incentives based on the number of ABHA-linked digital health records (transactions) they create, above a minimum threshold. Facilities need to be registered in the HFR to participate.

The scheme has been extended since launch, and its rules, eligible transactions and validity are set by the NHA. Check the NHA's current DHIS notice, or ask the ABDM helpdesk, to confirm whether the scheme is open and on what terms before planning around incentive income.

Is ABDM mandatory for hospitals and clinics?

As of October 2026, there is no general legal requirement that every private hospital or clinic in India must integrate with ABDM. Creating an ABHA is voluntary for patients, and participation by healthcare facilities is described by the government as voluntary.

In practice, ABDM is increasingly expected:

• Government programmes and schemes are linking more of their processes to ABHA and HFR.
• Some state health departments and government tenders ask for ABDM-compliant software.
• Patients are starting to keep ABHA-linked records in health apps, including hospital patient apps, and expect to receive records the same way.
• Incentives under the DHIS reward facilities that create ABHA-linked records.

If your hospital is empanelled under a government scheme or works with a state programme, check that scheme's current requirements with the scheme authority, since requirements can change. Choosing ABDM-ready software now avoids having to switch later.

How to get started: a step-by-step plan

1. Register your facility in the Health Facility Registry and keep the facility ID.
2. Register each doctor in the Healthcare Professionals Registry with their medical council registration.
3. Choose software that supports M1, M2 and M3, and confirm which flows are live.
4. Link the facility ID in your software so ABHA creation and record sharing carry your facility's identity.
5. Train the front desk to offer ABHA creation or verification at registration, without forcing patients who decline.
6. Display the Scan and Share QR at the OPD counter if your software supports it.
7. Explain consent to patients: their records are shared only when they approve each request.
8. Review the DHIS terms if you plan to claim incentives.

Privacy and consent

ABDM is built around consent: a record leaves your hospital only when the patient approves the request, for a stated purpose and time. This fits with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, under which your hospital remains responsible for the patient data it holds. See our guide to the DPDP Act for hospitals and clinics for what that means in practice. Clinical documents should never be exposed through public or unsigned links, whether or not ABDM is used.

How Sehat Nxt helps

Sehat Nxt is ABDM M1, M2 & M3 Ready. The front desk can create or verify a patient's ABHA during registration in the live OPD queue, and the software is designed to share records from EMR and digital prescriptions to the patient's ABHA and to request records from other facilities, with the patient's consent. Read more on the ABDM and ABHA page.

Book a free demo to see the ABHA flow and ask our team about getting your facility set up.