South Korean Hospitals to Usher in New Healthcare Era Using Blockchain Technology, AI and Big Data

South Korean hospitals intend to set the ball rolling in ushering in a new healthcare era using industry 4.0 technology like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data.

Leading the charge in to emerging technologies is Yonsei Medical Center, one of the most prestigious hospital groups in the nation, as it aims to foster an open innovative infrastructure for future healthcare services.

Advancing precision medicine

During a press conference held at Yonsei University, Yun Dong-seop, the director of Yonsei Medical Center, revealed that attaining the next-generation precision medicine necessitated an open innovative infrastructure coupled with information technology (IT), blockchain, digital medical care, AI, and big data.

He noted:

“It is a step forward from precision medicine that provides optimal treatment for each patient by analyzing personal genetic information, clinical information, and lifestyle habits, and provides new medical services through open infrastructure including digital.”

Blockchain technology will be instrumental in realizing data-centric hospitals by upgrading the quality of medical records. Data is to be collected using biosensors and digital neural networks for smart medical centers.

Digital treatment and research

Yonsei Medical Center has set its eyes on digital treatment and research by leading future medicine in various fields, such as diagnostic devices, new drug targets, medical devices, blockchains, and AI through medical technology holding companies.

Yun acknowledged:

“We will realize precision medicine for serious and intractable diseases in the future so that Yonsei Medical Center can grow into a global digital leader medical institution.”

Healthcare is a fundamental field in modern society. Blockchain-based solutions are being deployed to propel this sector to the next level. For instance, the Singaporean administration recently teamed up with local startup Accredify to establish a blockchain-powered digital health passport to boost medical records management.

This development would enable healthcare information to be kept in a digital wallet because the passport had already been piloted in May using COVID-19 data during the height of the global pandemic. 

Image source: Shutterstock