Over the past two years, hospitals in Taiwan have been increasingly taking the spotlight for their digital maturity. Perhaps the most prolific of this group is China Medical University Hospital, which has scored multiple HIMSS validations and achieved a global third ranking for the HIMSS Digital Health Indicator in 2022.
In January this year, the Taichung-based hospital placed first for the 2023 DHI ranking – scoring 370 out of 400 – signalling an advancement in its digital health prowess and a commitment to realising the power of IT.
At the helm of the hospital’s digital transformation journey is one Dr Der-Yang Cho, CMUH’s Superintendent since 2009. He spoke to Healthcare IT News to shed light on his digital health journey and what’s next for the hospital.
A passion for medical innovation
“Seven years ago, during my visits to countries such as Japan, I observed many digital health initiatives. During these visits, I recognised the immense potential of AI in medical applications, a trend that is irreversible,” Dr Cho said.
Through these visits, he learned about how AI could accelerate the diagnosis process, improve accuracy, and address issues like limited medical resources and overworked healthcare professionals.
This led to CMUH establishing the AI Center in 2017, which has since been promoting the advancement of AI technology. The hospital has clocked several milestones in its use of AI.
“From 2022 to 2023, we collaborated with Microsoft Taiwan to launch the ‘gHi-Intelligent Healthcare System’, Taiwan’s pioneering Chinese generative AI healthcare system. This system can recognise the voices of healthcare professionals, record medical questions and summaries posed by medical staff, and significantly enhance clinical work efficiency across various settings.
“Another major 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’, utilising the MedLM medical language model. These systems support diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient education by incorporating Google’s solutions, enabling clinical physicians to make informed decisions more quickly. The time and resources saved are then directed towards patient care.”
As a clinician specialising in neurosurgery, Dr Cho has also made significant contributions to medical research. In June 2019, he established the Cell Therapy Center, focusing on the development of multi-target, multi-functional CAR.BiTE-γδT immunotherapy. The Center also has a focus on developing technology for targeted exosome drugs.
“The goal is to provide patients with more effective treatment options through these innovative therapies… I have always believed in being patient-centred, hoping that through medical innovation and research, we can contribute to the future development of healthcare by addressing incurable and unsolvable diseases, ultimately bringing hope and better outcomes to our patients,” he explained.
Success by design
The hospital’s DHI achievement didn’t happen accidentally. Vision and goal setting, cross-department collaboration, regular meetings, technical cooperation, and a patient-centred 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 needing improvement. From this self-evaluation, we developed a comprehensive improvement plan, specifying responsible individuals and timelines for each step,” Dr Cho shared.
To address the gaps in relevant technical tools identified in the assessment, the hospital introduced advanced digital health technologies and tools into its ICU command centre and integrated them into the processes for critical and complex cases.
“We carefully considered how to incorporate these innovations into our existing medical service workflows to enhance service quality and efficiency.”
Recognising that digital technology should be accessible beyond IT and AI engineers, CMUH also implemented the “One Department, One AI Physician” initiative. Partnering with Taiwan AI Academy, the hospital provided AI knowledge and training to healthcare professionals, ensuring that clinical needs are met through the effective use of AI technology. This approach helps support medical staff and address clinical challenges through technological advancements.
“These efforts and achievements culminated in CMUH being recognised 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 accomplishments are the best affirmation of our team’s hard work.”
Digital transformation as an ever-ongoing process
Dr Cho shared that the hospital has numerous initiatives lined up, such as advancing medical AI and big data analytics by integrating, validating, and implementing generative AI in medical settings and creating a smart telemedicine service platform by integrating AIoT applications with the hospital’s app.
With regard to data interoperability, he said: “In collaboration with Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, we are building a data middle platform using FHIR data standards. This enhances the interoperability of medical data between the HIS system and other healthcare institutions while ensuring data security and privacy protection. It facilitates the flow of patient medical information, improving cross-institutional collaborative treatment outcomes.”
“We are continually transforming CMUH into a sustainable, innovative, and smart medical hospital. Our goal is not only to lead in technology applications but also to consistently innovate and undergo digital transformation. Through these efforts, we aim to provide more efficient, precise, and humanised medical services, ensuring that every patient benefits from the most advanced medical technologies and optimal treatment outcomes.”