The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation within healthcare, becoming a strategic part of improving care.

As a preview of his HIMSS23 presentation, Dr. Jong Soo Choi, information technology lead at Samsung Medical Center, discussed SMC's embedded technology with MobiHealthNews via email.

MobiHealthNews: How has Samsung Medical Center shifted its technology use over time?

Dr. Jong Soo Choi: To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Samsung Medical Center in Korea introduced the slogan "Care together, happy together" in 2019, signaling a new direction for the institution. A key strategy under this slogan is the establishment of a cutting-edge intelligent hospital, which requires the application of fourth industrial revolution technologies to enhance the patient experience and journey.

In particular, leveraging these advanced technologies can help collect and analyze patient data in real-time, enabling better-informed decisions by medical professionals and personalized treatment plans for patients.

As Samsung Medical Center prepares for digital transformation, it has discovered that the direction it seeks to pursue aligns well with the concept of HIMSS DHI [Digital Health Indicator].

MHN: What will your panel at HIMSS23 highlight, and what do you hope the audience gains from the discussion?

Choi: 

• Recognize that hospitals need digital transformation.
• Discuss the concept of HIMSS DHI in hospitals.
• Identify [how] the basis of digital transformation is interoperability.
• Explain person-enabled health is based on patient journey, improving patient engagement and patient satisfaction.
• Discuss how predictive analytics brings convenience to patients and operational efficiencies in hospitals.

MHN: Dr. Do Hoon LIM and Dr. Wonchul Cha will join you for this panel. What topics will they spotlight?

Choi: Professor Do Hoon LIM, MD, PhD [will discuss] predictive analytics of hospital operations. Samsung Medical Center, a large comprehensive hospital, is facing overcrowding due to an influx of patients, causing long wait times and delays for patient admissions, and making it difficult for severely ill patients to receive timely CT and MRI exams.

In order to improve patient outcomes and reduce wait times, the hospital developed a system that uses predictive analytics to make real-time decisions based on medical data. This system also allows doctors to share resources and make adjustments as needed.

Additionally, the hospital developed AI-based predictive models to adjust staffing and resources to adapt to changing conditions. The predictive models include a basic one to predict the number of outpatient visits. The implementation of these predictive analytics has resulted in both qualitative and quantitative improvements in patient satisfaction and hospital productivity.

Professor Wonchul Cha, MD, PhD [will highlight an] AGV robot for medical-materials logistics with IoT [internet of things] and interoperability. The AGV robot was piloted in one ward in February 2021, and based on the success of the pilot it was expanded to two more wards, with three robots in September 2021.

Currently, six robots are delivering medical materials to 20 wards. The robots follow magnetic lines on the floor to move around, and have Lidar sensors to prevent collisions. The algorithm for predicting the required quantities for each ward will be improved and applied to all wards. The use of the robots has reduced the work hours for nurses, increased job satisfaction and allowed for more patient-directed nursing activities. The project has also received an award from the Minister of Health and Welfare and the "Fourth Industrial Revolution Grand Prize."

MHN: How does HIMSS DHI assist in the process of implementing new technology?

Choi: The current hot buzzword must be "chatGPT," but in the healthcare industry, the buzzword is undoubtedly "digital transformation." Among the digital transformation guidelines provided by various organizations for hospitals, the HIMSS DHI guidelines are the most well-organized.

The DHI guideline framework consists of four pillars: Governance and Workforce, Interoperability, Person-Enabled Health and Predictive Analytics. 

At the upcoming HIMSS 2023 Global Conference, Samsung Medical Center will present its experience utilizing predictive analytics to provide convenience to patients and healthcare professionals, and share the patient-journey-based approach to provide easy access to patient information, from reservation to discharge, promoting patient engagement. Sharing outputs and outcomes through this approach will provide an opportunity for other hospitals to improve and contribute to building a better healthcare ecosystem.

The HIMSS23 session "Digital Health Transformation along with HIMSS DHI: The 1st Step" will take place Wednesday, April 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the McCormick Center, South Building S105C.