GVA+ Salut app: the four-digit PIN returns

It appeared a few years ago and progressively became increasingly prevalent on citizens’ mobile phones. With the GVA Salut app it is easier to carry out processes such as booking a doctor’s appointment or checking the status of pharmaceutical prescriptions . A few weeks ago, the Valencian Health Department (Conselleria de Sanitat) carried out the most important renovation in its history . The most remarkable alteration was the inclusion of the colour blue, in keeping with the rebranding of the Valencian Government. But its new features were far from being a hit with users. Not any more.

The wave of criticism on social networks and the feedback in pharmacies and health center counters has had its effect, and the Regional Ministry has made another adjustment to the app. The complaints have been dealt with and it has been made easier to use.

PIN access is restored

The biggest change is the reinstatement of the four-digit PIN to access the tool just as it used to be. With the update at the start of April you could only login via fingerprint or face recognition. The alternative was to request a code via SMS , which made access more difficult . As of this week, the login screen has the PIN option again.

And to the relief of the clinic personnel, a user manual has been made accessible so that citizens themselves can better comprehend how the system works and the available options. This was a greatly needed addition given the major changes that happened overnight.

More facilities for the virtual SIP

The other big feature is the new capability of the Virtual SIP Card. It used to be a very high level of verification that required having a digital certificate installed on a mobile device. This was something that only a very small percentage of people had and needed a quite advanced level of technological understanding . Now it’s much easier to get the Virtual SIP card.

But there are also limited features, such as the possibility of accessing the profile of minors – even if they are the offspring of the user – stating the necessity to preserve the personal data of the kid population.

High user adoption rate

According to a news release from the Generalitat, the renewed app has already been updated by 1.2 million individuals, which represents more than 70% of active users, revealed the regional secretary for Planning, Information and Digital Transformation, Bernardo Valdivieso. The adoption rate demonstrates the progressive deployment of the new application to the public and its massive use in the public health system, stabilising in operation only twenty days after its debut.

In the statement, it was announced that the four-digit PIN would be reinstated and an access guide would be prepared. This will clarify many uncertainties and will decrease the resistance generated by the change. However, the Ministry’s technicians suggest the use of fingerprint or facial recognition, “since they provide a higher level of security and allow access to more advanced digital functionalities, in line with the evolution of the application,” Valdivieso stated.

The development of health app

“The regional secretary summed up: “we are facing a massive and stable deployment of functionalities that allows us to continue evolving the application, facilitating access to day-to-day services and progressively moving towards increasingly secure access mechanisms for services that regulations require a higher level of security.”