International Initiative for Ubiquitous Healthcare (u-Health)

Introduction

Current and future information technologies offer great potential for the society to quickly adopt e-enabled services for economic and social development. Some countries in Asia, such as South Korea and Taiwan, are leading the world in the coverage of broadband services, where almost 75% of the population have access to broadband services. Hence these countries are in a position to demonstrate to the world various e-business services (and their impact) based on broadband wireless mobile technologies.

e-Health (healthcare activities based on Information and Communication Technologies) is probably the most prominent of these e-business services that can have a major visible impact on the development of the society, as endorsed in the World Health Assembly in May 2005. Ubiquitous Healthcare (u-Health) focuses on e-Health applications that can provide healthcare to people anywhere at anytime using broadband and wireless mobile technologies. This document gives a summary of a new international collaborative initiative conceived as part of the future activities of IEEE Healthcom, which brings together academia and industry healthcare and information technology professionals to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations for the development of humanity’s future good. Healthcom2007, to be held in Taipei, will showcase some major u-health applications.

Main Goal

This initiative is intended to demonstrate how collaboration between countries can lead to successful u-health applications. The goal of Healthcom2007 is to bring together a number of concepts and project results discussed during Healthcom2005 (hosted in Busan, South Korea) for the benefit of ubiquitous healthcare in the world. It may be noted that the world’s increasing ageing population necessitates concentrated research on healthcare paradigms beyond the current hospital-based healthcare regime because the hospitals (which are already stretched to limits) will not be able to handle the increase in ageing population. In addition, the increasing percentage of chronic illnesses requires a pervasive effort to increase the awareness of all concerned on how to lead a healthy life. The initiative will target programs and projects related to various aspects of u-health, such as:

● u-Health Systems Development and Application

● Studies on the Impact of u-Health

● Models for integrating u-Health in governance and business processes

● Paradigms for Promoting Healthy Life with the help of governments and businesses

Expected Results

This initiative will show case cutting edge technologies and their impact on health promotion and healthcare services in the context of u-health (healthcare based on broadband and wireless mobile technologies).

Partner Countries

● Australia

● France

● Greece

● Korea

● Taiwan

● USA

● more to join

Funding Mechanism

Each participant country will develop research programs (for sharing the experience with partners of this initiative) under this theme based on local resources and international collaborations.

Individuals, corporations, and foundations interested in making a philanthropic investment in this new initiative program may contact:

Pradeep Kumar Ray, Ph.D. - International Coordinator,

School of Information Systems Technology and Management,

University of New South Wales,

Sydney, NSW2052, Astralia

TEL: +61 2 9385 5890

FAX: +61 2 9662 4061

EMAIL: p.ray@unsw.edu.au

Su-Ming Hsu, M.D., Ph.D.

CEO of Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park,

Professor, Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital,

College of Medicine, National Taiwan University

7 Jhong-Shan S. Road, Taipei, Taiwan.

TEL: 886-2-23562006

FAX: 886-2-33435433

EMAIL: smhsu@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw

Heng-Shuen Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Acting Director, Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine,

Assistant Professor and Attending Physician, Department of Family Medicine,

College of Medicine, National Taiwan University

No. 1 Jen-Ai Road, Sec. 1, Taipei, Taiwan

TEL: 886-2-3123456 ext 8749, 6830

FAX: 886-2-3933031, 886-2-3118674

EMAIL: chenhs@ntu.edu.tw

Myoungho Lee, Ph.D.,

President of Korea e-Health Association,

President of Korea Society of Medical and Biological Engineering,

Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Yonsei University,

134 Sinchon-Dong, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749, Korea

TEL : +82-2-21232770

FAX : +82-2-3924677

EMAIL: mhlee@yonsei.ac.kr