Press Releases

09 Dec 2021

Official Launch of the New VHIS Plan “Asia iCare”

Love your family by taking steps to protect their health  Asia Insurance Company Limited (“Asia Insurance”) has once again collaborated with The CUHK Medical Centre (“CUHKMC”) to launch the brand new Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (“VHIS”) plan – “Asia iCare”. This is the 1st VHIS plan supported by the smart hospital in Hong Kong to offer full range of benefits coverage with the design idea inspired by the packaged plans of CUHKMC. Apart from tax deduction, this product also offers a wide range of hospitalization and out-patient coverages, including full cover for more than 5,000 surgical packages provided by CUHKMC. All the pre-approved hospital bills shall be settled by Asia Insurance directly so that customers could enjoy the real “Cashless” medical services and treatments. This plan also provides worldwide coverage with no deductible and no lifetime benefit limit.   Arouse the attention of the insurance and medical industries to the package pricing system  With this new product, we hope the public can enjoy quality medical services within their budgets without worrying the unpredicted medical expenses incurred. We also hope that it can successfully arouse the attention of the insurance and medical industries to the idea of package pricing system, inspire other hospitals to start exploring this transparent pricing model, and gradually extend it to the entire healthcare system in order to make it popular and benefit more people.   Enthusiastic response from online and offline audiences  To mark the official launch of this brand new VHIS plan, an official launch event was held on 30 November 2021. We were delighted to have Mr. Bernard Chan, President and Executive Director of Asia Insurance, Dr. Fung Hong, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC and Ms. Winnie Wong, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Asia Insurance be our officiating guests. The event was live broadcast with enthusiastic responses. Many friends from insurance and medical industries, strategic partners and customers had also participated the event. Thank you for all supports and contributions to make the event a huge success.   Promote the concept of inclusive society  In addition, Asia Insurance also spares no effort in charity. For each new issuance of “Asia iCare”, Asia Insurance will donate HK$100 to Ronald McDonald House Charities® Hong Kong. Purchasing an insurance policy will not only provide you with a comprehensive protection, but also benefit another family in need. To echo with the idea of promoting diversity and inclusiveness, we invited "Hong Kong Enharmonica", the first local orchestra made up of musicians with or without disabilities, together with the world champion harmonica player Mr. Gordon Lee to perform in live. The concept of disability inclusion is promoted through the music sharing, which adorned the whole event.  

21 Oct 2021

Manulife in strategic partnership with CUHK Medical Centre

Provides customers with priority access to specialists in oncology Today, Manulife Hong Kong announced the launch of a new holistic ‘Medical Professional Support Service’ for customers diagnosed with cancer or suspected cancer. Manulife customers with selected medical plans1 can now have their cases reviewed by dedicated, in-house healthcare professionals or qualified nurses. This team will be uniquely placed to aid customers throughout the medical treatment process, providing personalized care and professional support, follow ups on claims-related matters and pre-approval services, and recommendations on medical service providers based on their needs.    Cancer is a major health threat in Hong Kong. According to the latest statistics from Hospital Authority, new cancer cases reached a record high of 35,082 in 20192, an increase of 35% over the past decade. Cancer also accounted for 31% of all deaths in Hong Kong in 20193. Through the new holistic ‘Medical Professional Support Service’ and expanded healthcare network, Manulife Hong Kong will help customers better understand their diagnoses and treatment options thereby enabling more informed decisions.    An important feature of the new service is underpinned by Manulife Hong Kong’s strategic partnership with CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC). The joint initiative will further enhance Manulife Hong Kong’s health offering, giving customers priority access to oncologists at CUHKMC for a one-time, free independent medical consultation. CUHKMC is Manulife Hong Kong’s first partner for an independent medical consultation initiative on critical oncology.   “Manulife places customers’ health protection needs at the core of the business. This expansion of our healthcare service offering reaffirms our ongoing commitment to making peoples’ lives better with the most suitable care throughout every step of their cancer treatment and recovery. The partnership with CUHKMC and the broadening of Manulife Hong Kong’s in-house capabilities will create more empathetic, holistic, and convenient experiences for our customers,” said Wilton Kee, Chief Product Officer and Head of Health, Manulife Hong Kong.   Dr. Fung Hong, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC, said, “CUHK Medical Centre is a non-profit, private teaching hospital wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. We are dedicated to offering quality, affordable and transparent healthcare services through our professional medical team, with our state-of-the-art technologies and equipment. We are delighted to partner with Manulife, a like-minded insurer which focuses on health. This is an important partnership with one of Hong Kong’s major health insurers that will enable patients to improve their treatment journey by consulting with our oncologists and making use of what we offer.”   CUHKMC offers customized training to upgrade agency knowledge on healthcare  To upskill Manulife agents with relevant and up-to-date healthcare knowledge, CUHKMC will deliver a series of customized training sessions, equipping them with the proficiency and expertise to provide the best possible care to their customers. Themes covered will include fundamental medical knowledge, trends of various diseases and advancements in medicine.   Pre-approval cashless services expanded to CUHKMC to offer extra convenience  Under the strategic partnership, CUHKMC is a new addition to Manulife Hong Kong’s expanding cashless service partner network providing various offerings to both Manulife’s individual and group medical members4. The service provides pre-approvals as well as cashless credit facilities for hospitalization and outpatient treatments5. Customers are not required to pay up front, and the billing will be directly settled by Manulife.    CUHKMC is also now part of Manulife Hong Kong’s Cashless Day Surgery eService network. The eService is the market’s first fully digitized cashless service for day surgeries, and will enable eligible Manulife medical insurance customers to enjoy quick and convenient pre-approvals for colonoscopy and gastroscopy (OGD) day procedures at CUHKMC.    For more details about the holistic ‘Medical Professional Support Service’, please refer to Manulife’s website. 1 Eligible customers include insured persons of the following medical plans without relevant exclusions: Manulife Supreme VHIS Flexi Plan, ManuMaster Healthcare Series/Benefit and ManuShine Healthcare Series/Benefit. To be eligible, the eligible medical policy must have been in-force for more than 2 years. 2 The Hong Kong Cancer Registry, Hospital Authority, 2019 3 Ditto. 4 The service scope covers inpatient and day-patient for Manulife’s individual members, and inpatient and outpatient for group medical members respectively. 5 Subject to individual policy coverage and Manulife’s pre-approval.

09 Sep 2021

CUHK Medical Centre Stages Grand Opening Ceremony

The CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC), the city’s first non-profit, private teaching hospital wholly owned by a university, staged its grand opening ceremony today. Wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), CUHKMC is dedicated to providing the public with quality and transparent healthcare services.    Officiating at the ceremony included The Honourable Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Prof. Sophia Chan, Secretary for Food and Health; Dr. Constance Chan, Director of Health; Mr. Philip N L Chen, Chairman, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Dr. Norman Leung, Chairman of the Council, CUHK; Dr. Chien Lee, Chairman, Board of Directors, CUHK Medical Centre; Prof. Rocky Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK; Prof. Francis Chan, Dean of Medicine, CUHK and Dr. Hong Fung, Chief Executive Officer, CUHK Medical Centre.    With a total construction floor area of 100,000 m2, the 14-storey hospital has commenced service in phases starting from 6 January 2021. During the past 9 months, CUHKMC has rolled out a wide array of medical services, including general out-patient and specialist out-patient service, endoscopy services, eye clinic, cardiac examination and cardiac catheterization, radiology services, physiotherapy services, chemotherapy day unit and surgical procedures of various specialties. The Radiotherapy Centre, which came into service in July, is equipped with two cutting-edge treatment units including Unity-MR Linac and Radixact X9 – Tomotherapy to provide cancer patients with accurate and quality radiotherapy service. In the fourth quarter of this year, the 24-hour Emergency Medicine Centre will be in operation and the hospital will provide obstetrics services. The number of inpatient and day beds will expand from the existing 95 beds to over 120 beds.     Being the first smart hospital fully covered with 5G network, CUHKMC leverages on technologies including paperless electronic medical record, mobile information and communication technology and the Internet of Things to enhance efficiency and improve patient experience, e.g. enhancing drug safety through closed loop medication management system and automated dispensing system, strengthening the security in paediatric ward with geo-fencing technology as well as using RFID to manage and track medical supplies, laboratory samples, etc.    Dr. Chien Lee, Chairman, Board of Directors of CUHKMC, said, “CUHKMC aims to bridge the service gap between the public and private healthcare systems and to provide the local community with a new choice of quality and transparent healthcare services.  As a non-profit private teaching hospital, CUHKMC will also assume a major role in promoting medical innovation and training medical professionals.  With a team united in its purpose and with solid support from the community, we will be able to achieve our mission of ‘Pioneering Solutions in Healthcare’.”     To enhance price transparency, CUHKMC has introduced package prices for various operations and procedures. The package prices cover all costs of the intended operations or procedures, including doctor's fees, room charges, treatment procedure charges, nursing procedure charges, in-patient medication fee, etc., which enable patients to have a clear understanding of the estimated hospital service fees before admission. CUHKMC has launched package prices for about 120 operations and procedures by now, and will continue to introduce more package prices.    Dr. Hong FUNG, Chief Executive Officer, CUHKMC, said, “With the implementation of package prices, CUHKMC provides patients with transparent and predictable private healthcare services, allowing patients to receive medical treatment with peace of mind. With a patient-centric rationale, CUHKMC adopts advanced technologies to streamline services and operation, such that the healthcare teams can focus on patients and to offer patients with caring and quality medical services.”    CUHK received a generous donation of HK$1.3 billion from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in 2014 for the development of CUHKMC. The donation is the largest single donation ever made by the Trust to a medical project in Hong Kong, and is also the greatest single donation ever received by CUHK. In sincere appreciation of HKJC’s support, one of the clinical blocks of the hospital is named as Jockey Club Clinical Tower and was inaugurated at the opening ceremony today.    Mr. Philip Chen, Chairman, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the official opening of CUHKMC marks a new page for Hong Kong’s medical services. “Over the past decades, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has spared no efforts in promoting the concept of healthy community and supporting many innovative projects with the Government.” 

10 Jun 2021

HKT partners with CUHK Medical Centre for 5G smart hospital

HKT, in partnership with CUHK Medical Centre (“CUHKMC”), is setting a standard for 5G smart hospitals. Being the first private hospital in Hong Kong fully covered with 5G, CUHKMC will create breakthroughs in making use of 5G technology to drive innovative medical applications such as remote consultation and remote training, thereby accelerating digital transformation in the healthcare industry. As a pioneer of 5G developments in Hong Kong, HKT can fully leverage 5G’s unique advantages of ultra-high speeds of over 1Gbps and extremely low latency of less than 10ms. The technology can deliver an immersive experience through a combination of extremely high-quality ultra-HD 4K video, 3D imaging, VR, AR and multi-camera view. Medical images such as those obtained from endoscopy, ultrasounds, CT scans and X-ray of a high resolution can be transferred in real time via 5G for remote medical consultation. Located in Shatin, next to the University MTR Station, CUHKMC is a non-profit, private teaching hospital wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). CUHKMC is dedicated to offering quality healthcare services for the people of Hong Kong. Surpluses from healthcare services are ploughed back to the hospital for hospital development and the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for research and teaching. HKT has built full 5G coverage for CUHKMC to enable its digital capabilities. The network keeps CUHKMC staff connected, as well as connecting devices such as cameras, iPads and medical equipment in operating theatres, endoscopy rooms, patient wards and the auditorium. 5G also enables remote clinical training for medical students and facilitates the hosting of international medical conferences at CUHKMC with participants physically located in the Greater Bay Area and overseas. Mr. Tom Chan, Managing Director of Commercial Group of HKT, said, “We are honoured to collaborate with CUHKMC to bring the benefits of 5G into the healthcare sector, and together set a new benchmark on how healthcare services can be delivered. Through the innovative use of 5G technology to support a wide array of smart hospital applications such as remote consultation (doctor-to-doctor), remote training (doctor-to-student) and telemedicine (doctor-to-patient), resources in the hospital can be optimized and patients can receive the best possible care. 5G also supports other innovative applications such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and robotics to better serve Hong Kong people.”   Dr. Fung Hong, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC, said, “The focus of our smart hospital is to improve the patient journey by delivering the best treatment and enhancing medical safety. Through our partnership with HKT on 5G technology and applications, the digital transformation of CUHKMC is accelerated and thus the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the hospital are improved. CUHKMC, as a university hospital, is uniquely positioned for the early adoption of new technology to be applied in practice in the healthcare sector.”

10 Feb 2021

First ADORE Negative Pressure Medical Grade Health Coach Launches in Hong Kong

(Press Release Only Available in Chinese)

06 Jan 2021

CUHK Medical Centre opens today

The CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC), a non-profit, private teaching hospital, commences its services today to provide the public with quality, reliable and transparent healthcare services. Wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), all surpluses from the healthcare services will be ploughed back to the hospital for hospital development and the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for research and teaching.   With a total construction floor area of 100,000 m2, the 14-storey hospital has 516 in-patient beds and 90 day beds, 28 operating rooms and 56 consultation rooms. In its initial phase of operation, CUHKMC will provide out-patient and day services, including general out-patient clinic, specialist out-patient clinic, eye clinic, endoscopy services, physiotherapy services, radiology services and cardiac examination. A total of 20 beds will be opened in this phase, mainly for day patients and endoscopy in-patients.   CUHKMC offers a wide range of specialist out-patient services, covering General Medicine, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Family Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat), Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Urology, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Infectious Diseases, etc. CUHKMC also has 16 special medical centres, to be launched in phases, which will provide one-stop services of consultation, investigation and treatment. In the initial phase, Endoscopy Centre, Imaging and Interventional Radiology Centre, Specialist Outpatient Centre, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre and Wellness Centre will be put into service.   As a smart hospital and in line with its patient-centred concept, CUHKMC not only houses state-of-the-art medical equipment and facilities, but has also introduced numerous innovations in healthcare procedures and hospital operations, e.g. the multi-dose dispensing services for out-patients, where different drugs required per administration time are packed into a ready-to-use pouch, making it convenient for patients to take medications correctly, minimising the risk of missing a dose or using the wrong medication, as well as enhancing overall drug compliance.   To enhance price transparency and enable patients to have a better budget estimation, CUHKMC has developed package prices for various operations and procedures. The package prices cover all costs of the intended operations or procedures, including doctor's fees, room charges, treatment procedures charges and nursing procedure charges, and the costs of related medications and consumables, etc. CUHKMC will offer package prices for several endoscopy services at the initial stage of its operation and will introduce more package prices as the services rolls out.   Dr. Chien Lee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CUHKMC, said, “I am delighted to have witnessed the progression and growth of CUHKMC, from concept development, preparation, construction, completion to opening. The realization of this project can only be made possible due to our colleagues working closely together as a team. Despite having different perspectives and backgrounds, team members of CUHKMC are united with an aim to develop an innovative healthcare model, through a private hospital which will deliver high quality healthcare services at prices which are transparent and affordable. In this way, we are realizing our vision of “Pioneering Solutions in Healthcare”.”   Dr. Fung Hong, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC, said, “CUHKMC shoulders a social mission to bridge the gaps between the public and private healthcare in Hong Kong. We are dedicated to offering quality, affordable and transparent healthcare services through the implementation of package prices. Making use of smart technologies, we aim to improve patient experience, enhance the efficiency of hospital operation, and provide quality healthcare services to patients.”   With the opening of the hospital, CUHKMC will progressively roll out more out-patient, in-patient, day and specialist services according to the established plan. For more information on CUHKMC and its services, please visit the hospital website: http://www.cuhkmc.hk.   About CUHK Medical Centre  CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) is a non-profit, private teaching hospital wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). With a social mission to bridge the service gaps between private and public healthcare in Hong Kong, CUHKMC is dedicated to offering quality healthcare service at affordable and transparent package prices. In line with the not-for-profit principle, all surpluses from all healthcare services will be ploughed back to the hospital for hospital development and the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for research and teaching.    ENQUIRIES Email: shchan@cuhkmc.hk 

07 Apr 2020

CUHK Medical Centre launches Workplace Preparedness Programme against Infectious Diseases

In view of the rapid global spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the surge in local confirmed cases, many employers and employees are increasingly concerned about the workplace hygiene. With a mission to serve the community with our medical professionalism, CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) launches “Workplace Preparedness Programme” (hereafter referred to as “the Programme”) to provide companies and organisations with customised advisory service on workplace and staff infection control and risk assessment. Through the Programme, CUHKMC aims to enhance corporate capabilities to react to infectious diseases and to provide employees with greater protection, and ultimately to minimise the risk of community transmission.   Though some companies have implemented the work-from-home arrangement, for some industries, employees still need to work in offices or designated locations due to business and operational needs. Virus can easily spread in dense places and through close contact. Places such as office indeed can easily become the hub for disease transmission with many unnoticed “transmission traps”. Infection control in workplace is therefore not only important to companies and organisations, but also critical for Hong Kong as a whole in combating infectious diseases.   CUHKMC aims to become the “health and infection control partner” of companies and organisations through the Programme. Upholding the not-for-profit principle, CUHKMC aims to contribute to the community with its medical professionalism and help enhance the corporate capabilities to react to infectious diseases.   Dr. Fung Hong, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC said, “With the COVID-19 pandemic raging throughout the world, we need to be prepared and equipped for a prolonged battle against the disease. All of us should remain vigilant and work together to combat the pandemic. Through the Workplace Preparedness Programme, CUHKMC hopes to contribute to the community by sharing our professional knowledge with companies and organisations to enhance their preparedness against infectious diseases. This will help reduce transmission risks at workplace, and more importantly, prevent spread of diseases in the community.   Dr. Jacqueline Choi, specialist in public health medicine of CUHKMC and one of the advisory members of the Programme, added, “There are many commonly shared facilities and areas in workplace, such as computers, stationeries, pantries and conference rooms. Meanwhile, frequently touched surfaces including keyboards, buttons and handrails can also become the medium for spreading virus. Indeed, by adopting some refinement to the workflow and workplace environment, early detection of asymptomatic cases, and promoting personal hygiene awareness, we can already effectively lower the infection risk. This is actually what the Programme aims for.”   For details and further enquiries, please CLICK HERE.    To further enhance the public awareness, CUHKMC will stage its first ever Facebook Live Forum on disease prevention within workplace on 8 April 2020 (Wednesday) at 1:00p.m. via the CUHKMC Facebook Page. All members of the public are welcome to join. The guest speakers will address participants’ enquiries in the question-and-answer session. [CUHKMC Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cuhkmedicalcentre/]   About CUHK Medical Centre  CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) is a non-profit, private teaching hospital wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). With a social mission to bridge the service gaps between private and public healthcare in Hong Kong, CUHKMC is dedicated to offering quality healthcare service at affordable and transparent package prices. In line with the not-for-profit principle, all surpluses from all healthcare services will be ploughed back to the hospital for hospital development and the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for research and teaching.   In late March 2019, CUHKMC has opened in Tsim Sha Tsui its first specialist clinic, CUHK Medical Clinic (https://cuclinic.hk/en/), which provides a broad range of specialist out-patient services to patients, including Cardiology, Dermatology, Family Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) and Public Health Medicine, as well as diversified health check services and vaccination services.   ENQUIRIES  Email: comm.marketing@cuhkmc.hk

22 Nov 2019

CUHK Medical Centre Pioneers in Hospital Logistics Management

As a patient-first Smart Hospital, CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) is dedicated to providing quality and efficient services for patients. To optimize the logistics management of pharmaceutical products and medical consumables, so that the medical team can focus on the treatment and care of patients, CUHKMC has collaborated with DKSH Hong Kong Limited (DKSH) to design a pioneering third-party logistics (3PL) service model to digitalise and systemize the inventory management of pharmaceutical products and medical consumables. CUHKMC is the first local hospital implementing such a 3PL system, which not only improves the operation efficiency, but also helps ensure sufficient stock of pharmaceutical products and medical consumables at all time. CUHKMC and DKSH have signed the contract, appointing DKSH to manage and operate the 3PL management system of the hospital, turning a new chapter in Hong Kong’s hospital logistics management.   The logistics management of pharmaceutical products and medical consumables is a complex and critical aspect in hospital operation, which usually involves vast amount of manpower and storage space. DKSH operates in 35 markets and is the leading market expansion services provider offering an array of services from sourcing to after-sales service, and healthcare is one of the group’s four business units. With rich experience in logistics management and the application of advanced information technology, DKSH will operate the pioneering 3PL service model for CUHKMC. Services include: Receiving, storage and transportation of products Warehouse and inventory management Replenishment and topping up of products within hospital Cold chain management   Based on this model, DKSH will manage the off-site and in-house warehouses, handle and receive pharmaceutical products and medical consumables from various suppliers, manage the inventory and notify CUHKMC to activate the ordering process when inventory level has reached the pre-defined threshold, and arrange material delivery to hospital, so as to ensure sufficient supply of pharmaceutical products and medical consumables, as well as to replenish the stock of the in-house warehouse and wards. The varieties and volume of pharmaceutical products and medical consumables of a hospital are substantial, and some medicines need to be stored in a specified temperature, so DKSH has to make corresponding arrangement using the cold chain management system in the storing and delivery process.   About CUHK Medical Centre CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) is a non-profit, private teaching hospital wholly owned by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). With a social mission to bridge the service gaps between private and public healthcare in Hong Kong, CUHKMC is dedicated to offering quality healthcare service at affordable and transparent package prices. In line with the not-for-profit principle, all surpluses from all healthcare services will be ploughed back to the hospital for hospital development and the CUHK Faculty of Medicine for research and teaching. CUHKMC is expected to come into operation in the second half year of 2020.   In late March 2019, CUHKMC has opened in Tsim Sha Tsui its first specialist clinic, CUHK Medical Clinic (https://cuclinic.hk/en/), which provides a broad range of specialist out-patient services to patients, including Cardiology, Dermatology, Family Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) and Public Health Medicine, as well as diversified health check services and vaccination services.   About DKSH Hong Kong Limited DKSH is the leading Market Expansion Services provider with a focus on Asia. The Group helps other companies and brands to grow in the Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Performance Materials and Technology sectors. DKSH’s portfolio of services includes sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services. Publicly listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, the Group operates in 35 markets with 33,000 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 11.3 billion in 2018. With its strong Swiss heritage and long business tradition since 1865, DKSH is deeply rooted in Asia Pacific. The DKSH Business Unit Healthcare distributes pharmaceuticals, consumer health and over-the-counter (OTC) products as well as medical devices. With around 8,800 specialists, the Business Unit generated net sales of CHF 6.1 billion in 2018.

10 Dec 2017

Development of CUHK Medical Centre into Hong Kong’s First Digital Smart Hospital

The CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) is expected to commence services in 2020 and will be developed into the city’s first fully digitalised smart hospital. Making use of advanced information and communications technology (ICT), CUHKMC aims to improve patient outcomes, maintain a high level of overall operational efficiency, and provide quality healthcare services to the patients.   Dr. FUNG Hong, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC, said, “We are striving to develop CUHKMC into a fully digitalised smart hospital, which encompasses 3 main elements and purposes. First, with a fully electronic and paperless medical record system, we hope to offer seamless healthcare services, with continuity, to our patients. It will enable us to coordinate our team of healthcare professionals to provide integrative services and promote the effectiveness of treatment. Second, mobile ICT and real-time data will support and facilitate a smooth patient treatment process, and at the same time allow closer communication between patients and our doctors and nurses. Third, with the application of the Internet of Things (IoT), a management system can be established to integrate information from different systems and devices, thereby enhancing the efficiency of hospital operations and services.”   Electronic medical record integrates caring processes In the course of designing the electronic medical record system, CUHKMC makes reference to the experiences of the Hospital Authority (HA). The fully electronic and paperless medical record system will cover all care and treatment processes, including nursing records, treatment workflows and clinical decision support. Dr. Fung anticipates that by the time the hospital begins operating in 2020, CUHKMC will have achieved the Stage 6 standard of the Healthcare Information Management System Society (HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Following that, the hospital aims to attain Stage 7 accreditation within the first 2-3 years of operations, ultimately fulfilling the aim of becoming fully paperless in patient care. CUHKMC will also concomitantly integrate with the Government’s Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS). Currently, only 5% of hospitals in the United States and seven hospitals in mainland China have achieved the HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 accreditation.   As part of the development of a fully electronic medical record system, CUHKMC will establish Closed-loop Systems for the high-risk or critical medical procedures, such as drug management, blood transfusion and pathology investigation . These systems will provide real-time information to healthcare professionals, and monitor each key step in the treatment processes to ensure full compliance with safety standards, minimise unnecessary steps and improve treatment outcomes.   Implement medical record sharing at a one-stop service platform In conjunction with the application of mobile ICT, CUHKMC plans to set up an integrated mobile system which enables patients to make appointments, register, handle payments, check personal medical records, communicate with healthcare professionals and search for hospital directions at a one-stop service platform. Dr. Fung said, “People often perceive the hospital environment as a maze. We hope that, in future, CUHKMC patients will no longer need multiple referrals and enquiries to reach their doctors and contact the nurses who take care of them. They will be able to manage their own health through access to their own medical records, at ease.   Utilise the Internet of Things to enhance efficiency CUHKMC will use the Internet of Things to improve efficiency. Through deploying wi-fi network, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and bluetooth technologies into different areas, such as vital signs monitoring, drug management, material supplies, dispatch of uniforms, patient transfers, equipment management, patient location tracking and staff identification, the hospital operation workflows can be automated to reduce errors and to assist in communication between healthcare professionals and patients.    Following an open tender process, CUHKMC has appointed Ewell Hong Kong Limited to implement the hospital information system and software applications required in the progress to building a fully digitalised smart hospital. Ewell Technology Co. Ltd, the parent company of Ewell Hong Kong Limited, is based in Hangzhou and is a leading company in the smart healthcare industry in mainland China. Ewell Technology Co. Ltd has assisted seven hospitals in mainland China in obtaining HIMSS EMRAM Stage 6 & 7 accreditation and two private hospitals in Hong Kong in establishing their clinical information systems.