HIMSS24 APAC brought together leaders to exchange ideas and insights that will shape the future of healthcare in the region.
This year’s conference, titled “Creating the Health of Tomorrow,” focused on topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, 5G connectivity, EMR technologies, accelerating access to healthcare and the role of people in improving digital health.
“People, processes, transformation… they don’t bring new technology and bend it to their organization. A highly skilled workforce can maximize every tool available,” HIMSS President and CEO Hal Wolf emphasized in his welcome speech.
Referring to current challenges in the healthcare sector, he said: “Data is useless until we turn it into actionable information that can build knowledge… that allows us to compare, contrast and evaluate.”
Dr. Poong-Lyul Rhee, Director of Digital Solutions at Samsung Medical Center and HIMSS APAC Board Member, also shared his views on the key factors to maximize digital health.
“Digital transformation is not a project, but a state of mind that allows us to face challenges… [Technological] tools must be handled by skilled hands guided by the wisdom and compassion of healthcare professionals,” said the conference co-chair.
Large data integration
In his opening speech entitled “Creating Tomorrow’s Health in Korea: Innovative Digital Health Transformation” Dr. Kyung-Hwan Kim, director of the Institute of Inventive Technologies for Converging Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), spoke about gigantic data in South Korea’s healthcare sector.
“Our national health information database creates [digital] a warehouse where critical data such as medical history and hospital records will be stored… If the data can be integrated into each hospital’s health information systems, it could make a huge difference in improving health outcomes,” said Dr. Kim, who is also chairwoman HIMSS24 APAC Steering Committee.
Dr. Kim then highlighted the role of interoperability in medical data standardization and SNUH’s current initiatives to optimize data flow.
“Synapxe has been used by SNUH for four years… the platform uploads patient data to the cloud. These data will be stored on the cBioPortal platform. Patients [who share similar genetic issues] can be identified and a response to treatment can be achieved in real time.”
He also referred to nationwide data initiatives, such as the National Bio Large Data Project, which will be implemented for nine years.
“Addressing interoperability is critical to increasing patient access and patient convenience. How to ensure greater success [in digital health]? [It is through] innovation and transdisciplinary convergence of technology and medicine,” Dr. Kim maintains.