Over the past two years, hospitals in Taiwan have increasingly come into the spotlight for their digital maturity. Perhaps the most prolific of this group is China Medical University Hospital, which multiple HIMSS validations and achieved third place worldwide for the HIMSS Digital Health Indicator in 2022.
In January of this year, the Taichung hospital ranked first in the 2023 DHI rankings, scoring 370 out of 400 points. This is a sign of progress in digital healthcare and a commitment to harnessing the power of IT.
At the helm of the hospital’s digital transformation is a certain Dr. Der-Yang Cho, Superintendent of CMUH since 2009. He spoke with Healthcare IT News to share more about his journey in digital healthcare and what the future holds for the hospital.
A passion for medical innovation
“Seven years ago, during my visits to countries like Japan, I saw many digital health initiatives. During these visits, I saw the immense potential of AI in medical applications, a trend that is irreversible,” said Dr. Cho.
During these visits, he learned how AI can speed up the diagnosis process, improve accuracy and address problems such as limited medical resources and overworked healthcare professionals.
This led to CMUH establishing the AI Center in 2017, which has been committed to the development of AI technology ever since. The hospital has achieved several milestones in the use of AI.
“From 2022 to 2023 we will collaborated with Microsoft Taiwan to launch the ‘gHi-Intelligent Healthcare System’, Taiwan’s pioneering Chinese generative AI healthcare system. This system can recognize the voices of healthcare professionals, record medical questions and summaries of medical staff, and greatly improve clinical work efficiency in various environments.
“Another big highlight was our collaboration with Google (which began in 2023). We worked together 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 integrating Google’s solutions, enabling clinicians to make informed decisions faster. The time and resources saved are then spent on patient care.”
As a clinician specializing in neurosurgery, Dr. Cho has also made significant contributions to medical research. In June 2019, he established the Cell Therapy Center, focused on the development of multi-target, multifunctional CAR.BiTE-γδT immunotherapy. The center also focuses on the development of targeted exosome drug delivery technology.
“The goal is to provide patients with more effective treatment options through these innovative therapies… I have always believed in patient-centricity, hoping that through medical innovation and research we can contribute to the future development of healthcare by tackling incurable and unsolvable diseases, ultimately bringing hope and better outcomes to our patients,” he explained.
Success through design
The hospital’s DHI achievement did not come about by chance. Vision and goals, collaboration between departments, regular meetings, technical collaboration and a patient-centric approach all came together to create a recipe for success.
“We conducted a detailed analysis based on the results of our first DHI assessment (in 2022) to identify areas that require improvement. Based on this self-assessment, we developed a comprehensive improvement plan, with accountable individuals and timelines for each step,” said Dr. Cho.
To address the gaps in relevant technical tools identified during the assessment, the hospital introduced advanced digital health technologies and tools into the ICU command center and integrated them into processes for critical and complex cases.
“We carefully considered how we could integrate these innovations into our existing medical service delivery processes to improve service quality and efficiency.”
Recognizing that digital technology should be accessible to more than just IT and AI engineers, CMUH also implemented the “One Department, One AI Physician” initiative. In collaboration with Taiwan AI Academy, the hospital provided AI knowledge and training to healthcare professionals, and ensured that clinical needs were met through effective use of AI technology. This approach helps support medical staff and address clinical challenges through technological advancements.
“These efforts and achievements resulted in CMUH being recognized as the top global smart hospital in the 2023 DHI. We also received the HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence and were listed among Newsweek’s Best Smart Hospitals for 2023 and 2024. These achievements are the best validation of our team’s hard work.”
Digital transformation as a continuous process
Dr. Cho said the hospital has several initiatives underway, such as improving medical AI and big data analytics by integrating, validating and implementing generative AI in medical environments and creating a smart telemedicine service platform by integrating AIoT applications with the hospital’s app.
Regarding data interoperability, he said: “In collaboration with the Taiwanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, we are building a data middle platform using FHIR data standards. This will enhance the interoperability of medical data between the HIS system and other healthcare institutions, while ensuring data security and privacy protection. It will facilitate the flow of patient medical information and improve the results of collaborative treatment between institutions.”
“We are continuously transforming CMUH into a sustainable, innovative and smart medical hospital. Our goal is not only to be at the forefront of technological applications, but also to consistently innovate and undergo digital transformation. Through these efforts, we strive to provide more efficient, accurate and humane medical services, so that every patient benefits from the most advanced medical technologies and optimal treatment outcomes.”