Evolution of digital health on full display at HIMSS24 APAC
HIMSS24 APAC leaders to share ideas and insights that will shape the future of healthcare in the region.
This year’s conference, themed ‘Creating Tomorrow’s Health’, focused on topics such as AI, cybersecurity, 5G connectivity, EMRs, accelerating access to healthcare and the role of people in advancing digital health.
“People, processes, transformation… don’t bring new technology and bend it to your organization. A highly skilled workforce can maximize every tool available,” HIMSS President and CEO Hal Wolf emphasized in his welcome remarks.
Speaking about current challenges in healthcare, he said: “Data is useless until we convert it into useful information that can build knowledge… that allows us to compare, contrast and evaluate.”
Dr. Poong-Lyul Rhee, Chief Digital Officer at Samsung Medical Center and Board Member of HIMSS APAC, also shared his views on critical factors for maximizing digital health.
“Digital transformation is not a project, but a state of mind to deal with challenges… (Technological) tools must be handled by skilled hands, guided by the wisdom and compassion of healthcare professionals,” said the conference co-chair .
Integrating big data
In the opening keynote, “Creating Tomorrow’s Health in Korea: Innovative Digital Health Transformation,” Dr. Kyung-Hwan Kim, head of the Institute of Convergence Medicine Innovative Technology at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), talked about big data in healthcare in South Korea. sector.
“Our National Health Information Database is building a (digital) warehouse to host crucial data such as medical history and hospital records… If data can be integrated into each hospital’s medical information systems, it can be instrumental in improving health outcomes, ” said Dr. Kim, who also chairs the HIMSS24 APAC Steering Committee.
Dr. Kim then highlighted the role of interoperability in medical data standardization and SNUH’s current initiatives aimed at optimizing data workflows.
“Synapxe has been used by SNUH for four years… where the platform uploads patient data to the cloud. This data will be stored in the cBioPortal platform. Patients (who share similar genetic issues) can be identified, and real-time response can be achieved for treatment.”
He also referred to national data initiatives, such as the National Bio Big Data Project, which will be implemented in nine years.
“Addressing interoperability is critical to increasing patient access and patient convenience. How can we create more success (in digital healthcare)? (It is through) innovation and transdisciplinary convergence of technology and medicine,” said Dr. Kim.