South Korea's Medical IT Captivates the World

2025.03.12  327

On March 4, Seungwoo Park, President of Samsung Medical Center, delivered a keynote address at 'HIMSS 2025,' the world's largest medical IT conference, held in Las Vegas, USA. This marks the first time in HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) history that a healthcare organization from Asia has delivered a keynote address.

HIMSS is the world’s most reputable organization that evaluates the level of information technology in healthcare institutions, with the goal of enhancing medical care quality and patient safety. Samsung Medical Center was the first in the world to achieve the highest Level 7 in four of the six areas (EMRAM, INFRAM, DIAM, AMAM) accredited by HIMSS. Additionally, it received a perfect score of 400 points in the Digital Health Index (DHI) survey.

HIMSS invited President Seungwoo Park to share the IT technologies and expertise of Korean medical institutions, with Samsung Medical Center serving as the representative. This provides the context for President Seungwoo Park standing before leading medical institutions and experts from the global medical and IT industries. Under the theme of future medical advancements, Samsung Medical Center showcased the digital innovation journey it has undertaken since its opening.  

 

At HIMSS 2025, the innovative milestones achieved by Samsung Medical Center since its opening in 1994 were presented, highlighting its digital infrastructure advancements, such as becoming Asia's first film-free hospital in 1996, the first in Korea to implement an interoperable health information exchange system connecting hospitals in 1998, introducing a mobile electronic medical record (EMR) system in 2003, and transitioning to a fully paperless hospital in 2008.

President Seungwoo Park emphasized his commitment to exploring new frontiers in medical IT, including artificial intelligence (AI), social robots, and the metaverse. He concluded his speech by stating, "In this constantly evolving world, the one thing that must remain unchanged is our dedication to patient care and our mission to improve the medical environment for all. Let us embark on this transformative journey together, fueled by a culture of collaboration and innovation, as we move into the future."

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Patients' Rights and Responsibilities

Patients' Rights

1. Right to receive medical care

Patients have the right to receive proper care in a safe setting without discrimination nor should their right to care be violated regardless of their gender, age, religion, social status, nationality, language, race, or physical/mental/financial status. Medical teams shall not refuse to provide care without justifiable reason.

2. Right to be informed and to make an autonomous decision

Patients have the right to obtain full and complete information from their medical team, to ask questions, and to determine their agreement or refusal concerning: diagnosis, treatment (purpose, plans and methods), outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes), discharge plan, participation in medical research studies, organ transplantation/donation, etc. Within ethical boundaries, patients may discontinue or refuse treatment, request that the medical team explain and suggest alternative treatments, and reserve the right to make their own decisions.

3. Right to confidentiality

Patients' rights to confidentiality regarding their physical/health status and privacy will not be violated. Patients can expect that all medical records/reports and their personal privacy will be kept confidential unless the patient has given consent or disclosure is permitted by law. To ensure their privacy, patients may be informed that Individuals not directly involved in their care may not be present and that the number of guardians accompanying patients to consultation rooms may be limited.

4. Right to request consultation and mediation

In the event of a medical dispute, patients may request consultation and mediation from an internal or external agency (Korea Consumer Agency, Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency).

5. Right to have values and beliefs respected

Patients will not be discriminated against because of their culture, religious values, or beliefs, and their rights will not be violated.

6. Right to receive care in a safe setting

Patients have the right to receive hospital-provided care where the patient’s medical information is protected and patient safety can be assured. In addition, patients have the right to be protected from possible dangers that can occur in a hospital and to have stability of mind and body.

Patients' Responsibilities

1. Responsibility to trust and respect the medical team

Patients must accurately inform the medical team of their health condition and must trust and respect the medical team's treatment plan. Patients may be responsible for consequences that result from not following instructions.

2. Responsibility to not use dishonest methods for medical treatment

Patients must reveal their identity before receiving any medical care and must not use false or dishonest methods, such as seeking medical care under disguised ownership.

3. Responsibility to abide by all hospital regulations

Patients are expected to treat all hospital staff and other patients with courtesy and respect; to abide by all hospital rules; and to earnestly fulfill their financial obligation to the hospital. Also, patients and their family members are expected to participate in all safety regulations.