Chiang Mai University and Cisco to collaborate on Med Tech innovation

The Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University (MedCMU), a leading medical institution, and Cisco, a global technology and networking leader, have agreed to collaborate on med-tech innovation with the aim of facilitating knowledge sharing, providing technological support for sustainable healthcare development and excellence in medical services and enhancing the digital healthcare experience.

 

The collaboration was announced as the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Chiang Mai, earlier today.  

This collaboration between the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, and Cisco will focus on the following aspects:  

 

Creating a digital healthcare experience for patients and healthcare professionals: This will be done through a ‘digital hospital’ concept by developing:

 

• Drug & Medical Equipment Tracking System: A large logistics database that links with relevant information and tracks the status of drugs and medical equipment used in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital and 13 affiliated clinics in real-time. This will enable the hospital to track equipment and medication accurately, allowing it to manage drug inventory, medical equipment, and costs more efficiently.   

 

• Medical Service Status Tracking System: This will allow patients to check the service status, e.g. queuing, drug dispensing, payment and other health information through the hospital’s wireless network and mobile app. Patients can also use it to attend tele-consulting sessions, thus reducing hospital visits. In addition, the system will include a navigation function that can help patients to get to the point of service more quickly and with greater ease.

 

Accelerate innovation for sustainable healthcare development:  This will be done through three key projects:

 

• Tuberculosis Screening: This is aimed at improving medical care and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) patients in remote areas by using AI and Deep Learning to read chest X-rays more effectively. Doctors will be able to access high-resolution X-ray images and consult radiologists about chest X-ray interpretation through tele-consulting sessions on Cisco WebEx platform. This can help to make the TB screening and diagnosis processes faster, improve accuracy so that patients can be treated from the earliest stages of the disease. It will also help addresses the shortage of radiologists in remote areas.

 

• Tele Palliative Care: This involves building virtual examination and treatment rooms for terminally ill and bedridden patients to reduce hospital visits. The project will see professional nurses with mobile medical devices visit patients at home for health check-ups, and remotely send information and communicate with physicians in real-time. Doctors will be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe medication via tele-consulting on Cisco WebEx platform. The aim is to make the telecare service as effective as a treatment in the hospital.

 

• Diabetes Patient Data & Communication: This project will help upgrade the knowledge and skills of village health volunteers via remote training, enabling them to properly take care of patients with diabetes and hypertension. These village health volunteers will report progress to the hospital via Cisco WebEx, which is a smart learning platform and education connector, as well as consult medical staff via an online learning system. This will help improve follow-up treatment and reduce unnecessary hospital visits.

 

This collaboration aims to improve all healthcare services of the hospital, supporting patients from 17 provinces in the northern region and build a strong foundation for medical R&D efforts. To support this initiative, Cisco has provided technology solutions for network infrastructure, data analytics, AI, Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), sensor technologies and Software-Defined Networking (SDN).

 

As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare technology is expected to grow significantly. According to Global Market Insights survey, the use of tele-consultation through various online platforms is increasing continuously. The global telemedicine market was valued at USD45 billion in 2019, and is expected to reach USD175 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of 19.3%.

 

Prof. Bannakij Lojanapiwat, M.D., Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, said: “The Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, is a leading medical institution that meets international standards. Our mission is to conduct research and provide high-quality healthcare services. This cooperation is an important step forward for the Faculty of Medicine and Cisco, enabling us to jointly create innovations in healthcare services. This will bring substantial benefits to the local people as well as healthcare professionals at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. Through our successful past collaboration with Cisco, we are confident in Cisco’s cutting-edge technology and expertise and its various healthcare solutions, which will allow the Faculty of Medicine to enhance the digital healthcare experience and deliver integrated medical and healthcare services in the future.”

 

Vatsun Thirapatarapong, Managing Director, Cisco Thailand, said: “Digital healthcare is one of the top priorities for many countries, especially after COVID-19 pandemic. Upgrading medical capabilities and healthcare services by leveraging technology will help bridge the gap in accessing healthcare services. Cisco has been working with healthcare organizations across the world to support patients with telehealth and other innovative solutions using our collaboration, mobility, networking, security, and data center technologies. We are excited to further our collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University for med tech co-innovation to enhance digital healthcare services. We are committed to providing advanced technology to support the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, enabling it to become a digital medical school of future.”