(RCEP-NYCU Team Members)
Due to the global spread of the pandemic, our university and its affiliated hospital jointly organized the “A Post COVID-19 Era: Epidemic Control Strategies and Digital Transformations” international symposium on December 4, 2022. The event featured esteemed guests, including Dr. Wang Bi-Sheng, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare, Dr. Chuang Jen-Hsiang, Deputy Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Minister Tang Feng from the Ministry of Digital Development, Professor Joseph C. Kvedar from Harvard Medical School, Professor Chi Chun-Hue from the Department of Public Health at Oregon State University, Associate Professor Lian Jiann-Jeng from our university’s International Health Program, and Professor Yang Chih-Chieh from NYCU’s Institute of Brain Science, who is also the director.
The symposium provided a platform for experts and scholars from both domestic and international institutions to share the latest diagnostic and treatment insights. This year, the symposium adopted a hybrid format with both physical attendance and simultaneous online streaming, attracting more than 8,000 participants online.
Since 2009, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital has been hosting annual international medical symposiums focusing on healthcare hot topics. In recent years, Taiwan’s achievements in epidemic prevention have been highly recognized worldwide. Our university has continued to stay up-to-date with the latest developments, making significant contributions in various fields, including emergency and critical care, medical technology, and epidemic prevention and care. These efforts have earned the hospital accolades such as the “Epidemic Prevention Merit Award” and the “Outstanding Contribution Award for Quarantine Designated Hospitals” from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Starting off with a video message from Minister Tang Feng. The morning sessions included a presentation from Dr. Mark S. Cohen, Dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, on “Applications of Digital Transformation: Current and Future Trends.” Dr. Yang Chih-Chieh, director of the NYCU’s Institute of Brain Science, spoke about “Futuristic Hospitals: Prospective Development of Medical Digital Transformation.” Additionally, Professor Chi Chun-Hue from Oregon State University discussed “Enhancing Resilience in Healthcare Systems in the Post-Pandemic Era,” and Dr. Chuang Jen-Hsiang, Deputy Director-General of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, talked about “Taiwan’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.” In the afternoon sessions, speakers focused on “Entering a New Model of Post-Pandemic Patient Care.” The symposium then concluded with a roundtable discussion, facilitating the exchange and generation of new ideas among experts and scholars from various fields.
Deputy Director-General Chuang expressed his pleasure in attending the symposium in Yilan and appreciated the opportunity to share Taiwan’s epidemic prevention experiences over the past three years. He emphasized the significant progress made in telemedicine and remote medical care during the pandemic, emphasizing that in-person consultations are no longer the only option.
Dr. Yang Chun-Hao stated, “With the pandemic resulting in over six million deaths worldwide, it has definitely led to profound reflections.” Developments in digitization and telemedicine have shown that medical care can be provided through online video consultations, diminishing the necessity for in-person interactions. He shared that the symposium aimed to engage the three main hospitals in Yilan to explore what the pandemic had taken away from its residents, the good, the bad, and how we wish to create a better medical environment.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, in November 2019, its rapid spread globally and its far-reaching impact have exceeded the expectations of healthcare and public health experts. Effective crisis management in response to the pandemic and medical digital transformation are essential issues to address. Apart from implementing effective strategies to control the epidemic, relevant policies and measures need to be adopted to prepare for future challenges. The symposium explored the trends in digital transformation and examined the prospective development of Taiwan’s healthcare system, the strengthening of international and domestic healthcare systems in the post-pandemic era, progress and prospects of domestically developed vaccines, new models of clinical patient care, and optimal strategies.
Taiwan’s remarkable achievements in epidemic prevention have gained global recognition, presenting opportunities for the development of the country’s medical industry. Building a resilient health system that can coexist with the pandemic and reshaping the medical digital landscape are opportunities for transformation in the post-pandemic era. National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital strives for excellence, establishing milestones in various fields, from emergency and critical care to medical technology and epidemic prevention and care. The hospital’s efforts have been acknowledged with the “Epidemic Prevention Merit Award” and the “Outstanding Contribution Award for Quarantine Designated Hospitals” from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.