Over the past two years, Taiwanese hospitals have increasingly focused on their digital maturity. Perhaps the most productive of this group is China Medical University Hospital, which earned Multiple HIMSS validations and achieving third place globally for the HIMSS Digital Health Index in 2022.
In January this year, Taichung Hospital ranked first in the 2023 DHI ranking, scoring 370 out of 400 points, demonstrating its progress in digital healthcare and commitment to realizing the potential of information technology.
The digital transformation of the hospital is being spearheaded by Dr. Der-Yang Cho, director of CMUH since 2009. He spoke to to shed delicate on his digital health journey and what the hospital’s plans are for the future.
Passion for medical innovation
“Seven years ago, during my visits to countries like Japan, I saw a lot of digital health initiatives. During those visits, I saw the huge potential of AI in medical applications, a trend that is irreversible,” Dr. Cho said.
During his visits, he learned how AI can speed up the diagnostic process, escalate diagnostic accuracy, and address issues such as confined medical resources and overworked medical staff.
This led to CMUH establishing the AI Center in 2017, which has been dedicated to promoting the development of AI technologies ever since. The hospital has achieved several milestones in the utilize of artificial intelligence.
“In 2022-2023 cooperated with Microsoft Taiwan to launch “gHi-Intelligent Healthcare System”, a pioneering Chinese AI generative healthcare system in Taiwan. The system can recognize the voices of healthcare workers, record medical questions and summaries asked by healthcare workers, and greatly improve the efficiency of clinical work under various conditions.
“Another essential event was our cooperation with Google [which began in 2023]. We have collaborated to develop comprehensive systems such as the “MIRA Medical Record Assistant,” “Chemo Assistant,” and “Medicine Q&A Chatbot,” using the MedLM medical language model. These systems support diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient education by incorporating Google solutions, enabling clinicians to make informed decisions faster. The time and resources saved are then redirected toward patient care.”
As a clinician specializing in neurosurgery, Dr. Cho has also made significant contributions to medical research. In June 2019, he founded the Cell Therapy Center, focusing on the development of multi-target, multi-functional CAR.BiTE-γδT immunotherapy. The Center also focuses on developing exosome-targeted drug technology.
“The goal is to provide patients with more effective treatment options with these innovative therapies… I have always believed in patient centricity, hoping that through medical innovation and research we can contribute to the future of healthcare by addressing incurable and untreatable diseases, ultimately bringing hope and better outcomes to our patients,” he explained.
Success through design
The hospital’s achievement of DHI was no accident. Vision and goal setting, interdepartmental collaboration, regular meetings, technical collaboration, and a patient-centered approach all came together to create a recipe for success.
“We conducted a detailed analysis based on the results of our initial DHI assessment [in 2022] to identify areas for improvement. Based on this self-assessment, we developed a comprehensive improvement plan, identifying responsible individuals and timelines for each step,” shared Dr. Cho.
To address the gaps in appropriate technical tools identified in the assessment, the hospital implemented advanced digital health technologies and tools in its ICU command center and integrated them into critical and complicated case processes.
“We carefully considered how to incorporate these innovations into our existing healthcare workflows to improve service quality and efficiency.”
Recognizing that digital technology should be accessible beyond IT and AI engineers, CMUH has also implemented the “One Department, One AI Doctor” initiative. Working with Taiwan AI Academy, the hospital has provided AI knowledge and training to healthcare professionals, ensuring that clinical needs are met through the effective utilize of AI technology. This approach helps support healthcare professionals and solve clinical problems through technological advances.
“These efforts and achievements have led to CMUH being recognized as the world’s best smart hospital by DHI 2023. We have also received the HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence and have been named to Newsweek’s list of best smart hospitals for 2023 and 2024. These achievements are the ultimate validation of our team’s hard work.”
Digital transformation as a continuous process
Dr. Cho said the hospital has several initiatives in the pipeline, such as developing medical AI and large data analytics through the integration, validation, and implementation of generative AI in the medical environment, as well as creating an smart telemedicine service platform by integrating AIoT applications with the hospital’s application.
Regarding data interoperability, he said, “In cooperation with the Taiwanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, we are building a data brokerage platform using FHIR data standards. This enhances the interoperability of medical data between HIS and other healthcare institutions while ensuring data security and privacy protection. It facilitates the flow of patient medical information, improving treatment outcomes through inter-institutional collaboration.”
“We are continually transforming CMUH into a sustainable, innovative and intelligent medical hospital. Our goal is not only to be a leader in technological applications, but also to constantly innovate and transform digitally. Through these activities, we strive to provide more efficient, precise and humanized healthcare services, ensuring that every patient benefits from the latest medical technologies and optimal treatment outcomes.”