PRESS RELEASE
Planning Division, National Health Insurance Administration
August 8th, 2019
“APEC Conference on Medical Information Sharing for Enhancing Medical and Disease Management” Kick Off Today. Initiate Official Platform of Medical Information Sharing in Asia-Pacific
Taiwan has implemented national health insurance program for 24 years, and has already become the goal of other countries to look for. Especially, in recent years, national health insurance has actively introduced communication technology into health insurance management applications. It has established and upgraded “MediCloud” system which becomes famous internationally. The result is highly recognized and endorsed by APEC member economies to hold “APEC Conference on Medical Information Sharing for Enhancing Medical and Disease Management” at Howard Civil Service International House on August 8th to August 9th, 2019. Unprecedentedly and excitingly, 13 member economies and 40 foreign guests are invited to Taiwan. We look forward to establish an official platform of medical information sharing in Asia-Pacific.
The APEC Conference on Medical Information Sharing on Enhancing Medical and Disease Management arose from the presentation shared by Director General of National Health Insurance Administration, Dr. Po-Chang Lee, on ‘National Health Insurance Scheme and latest MediCloud Medical Information Technology’ at APEC Health Working Group Meeting, held in Papua New Guinea last year. The presentation received a warm response from the other 20 APEC member economies and it successfully granted with USD 100 thousands of APEC Fund. With more than 6 months of organization and coordination, the conference finally kicks off today.
Participation of APEC Economies Reached a Record High! Establishment of Cooperation Network in Asia Pacific Highly Anticipated!
The Deputy Minister of Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan, Dr. Chi-Kung HO is going to deliver opening remarks to the delegate participants for this conference. The agenda consists of three subjects, they are “The global trends and achievements of applying medical Information exchange in healthcare improvement”, “the strategies and views on medical information collecting, sharing, using and data Security” and “Applications of ICT in strengthening healthcare in hospitals/ public sectors”. Not only it will focus on applying Information Communication Technology (ICT) to the healthcare, but also explore data security on medical information collecting. In addition, during this conference, speakers from APEC member economies will also share their strategies of implementation as well as the application on healthcare.
In this Conference, there are 13 economies and around 40 foreign guests of official delegates and expert speakers from the US, Canada, Australia, Peru, Russia, Japan, Republic of Korea, The Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam to join this event in Taiwan for sharing their health insurance systems and the development of medical information system, including Ms. Ann Mond JOHNSON
, Chief Executive Officer of American Telemedicine Association, Mr. Michael GREEN,President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Health Infoway, Mr. Jong-Su RYU, Commissioner of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service(HIRA), and Australian expert in the field of smart healthcare, Dr. David HANSEN.
Director General of National Health Insurance Administration, Dr. Po-Chang Lee says that during the World Health Assembly of this May, the Minister of Ministry of Health and Welfare Dr. Shih-chung Chen has carried out several bilateral meetings with American, European and new southbound countries. Many of those Ministers have been impressed by our achievements in promoting MediCloud information sharing, and expressed their strong will to assign delegates to Taiwan for learning our successful experience in health insurance. The theme of this conference is the current concern of regional organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and also the strength of Taiwan. At the beginning of proposing this project, it has been admired by member economies. Now, they have supported us with concrete action by assigning high level of health officials to Taiwan. In particular, new southbound countries have assigned at least two high-ranking officials in prompt and enthusiastic response. Even Peru in farer southern America has sent two officials for joining this event. The official delegates of APEC member economies and the ranking of officials assigned to participate in this APEC Conference have reached a record high. It shows our success in applying medical information technology to create high quality and efficacy of health insurance performance, which is highly acknowledged and looked after by countries around the world.
Taiwan Launched MediCloud Information System into National Health Insurance. Medical Management Efficiency Is Well-Acknowledged around the Globe.
Director General Dr. Po-Chang Lee says that in Taiwan, in order to improve healthcare quality and establish a platform for data sharing between medical institutions as well as to promote the patient-centered healthcare, National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) launched the “PharmaCloud System” to record each patient’s drug use status, which is expanded its function and renamed to “NHI-MediCloud System”. From 2014 to 2016, the saving of the expenditure resulting from the duplication of medicine reached NTD$ 300 million by implementing the MediCloud System, and NTD$ 1,200 million by sharing clinical data across the medical institution through the system. It really achieves the objectives of ensuring people’s medical and medicine safety and maximizing the efficiency of health insurance resources utilization. The above results are the most concrete manifestations internationally that apply medical cloud information technology into cost-effective management.
APEC Demonstrating Health Insurance Effect and Exploring Industry Opportunities through the Cooperation among Industries, Officials and Academia
Taiwan as one of the important counties in the global medical information industry chain has its strengths in medical information industries. Through the value-added real machine demonstration by our medical facilities and related industries, including NHI-MediCloud System and My Health Bank, National Health Insurance Administration will take this opportunities to actively interact with officials of member economies and jointly promote Taiwan's smart medical industry internationally. In addition, My Health Bank will not only provide residence the search function for personal medical record, but also to develop Software Development Kits (SDK) to provide the pathway between medical information health management industries and healthcare service in order to apply health data effectively and promote the development of smart medical industries. Together it will create multi-functional application of health data and also care for the health of people. During the conference, 8 exhibit booths are set up outside the conference room of Howard Civil Service International House, including My Health Bank and NHI-MediCloud System by the Administration, Taichung Veterans General Hospital using NHI MediCloud System to improve drug safety, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital using NHI MediCloud System to promote levels of care, REAL SUN INFORMATION-TECH CO. demonstrating international version of medical information system and cloud online smart drug procurement platform. New venture of Taiwan La Vida Tec Co. shows “WaCare, healthy social network” which connects health experts and families by linking My Health Bank SDK and conducting value-added healthcare service from health insurance medical and health data. YongYue Health Management provides participants with sharing “H2U Health ATM” facility to measure blood pressure, heart rate, BMI and assess personal health risk.
Dr. Po-Chang Lee also says that especially for the foreign guests, the organizer has arranged a visitation trip to Taipei Veterans General Hospital in order to introduce the use of MediCloud Information System on site in hospitals. There are more than three hundreds participants from foreign delegate officials, embassy Excellency, industry representatives, officials and academic researchers to attend this APEC Conference. The National Health Insurance System is well-known internationally. Besides the national satisfaction rate reaches 86%, the Administration has actively used big data analysis to manage and reduce waste. Through the interaction and exchange the experience in establishing and applying the information system with APEC member economies, not only we look forward to deepen the interaction and exchange among member economies, but also to expand concrete cooperative relationships. It looks forward to establish the cooperation network in Asia Pacific and also brings positive effect on enhancing Taiwan’s international image and reputation.