【Interview】In the era of team battles, showcasing the innovative power of smart healthcare together.

How to use the "Warm Ocean Theme" to reduce the coldness of medical technology? The Kaohsiung Smart City Expo, held from March 21st to 23rd this year at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, gathered more than 150 domestic and international exhibitors with 550 booths. Representatives from 20 countries, 3 international organizations, and 19 cities also attended. King One Design was honored to assist in planning and designing the "Smart Healthcare Theme Pavilion", integrating the design of a warm ocean to reduce the cold atmosphere often associated with medical technology. Collaborating with 15 medical and educational institutions in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region, they showcased Kaohsiung's outstanding achievements and innovative applications in the field of smart healthcare.

King One Design went to the exhibition venue specifically to interview Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, the organizer of the themed pavilion, to share the strategies, goals, and benefits of organizing and participating in the joint exhibition, as well as their insights into curating the event with King One Design.

Event Name: 2024 SmartCitySummit&Expo in Kaohsiung
Organization: Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital
Contact Person: Frank Chou, Director

Q: How many times have you participated in the exhibition? What are the goals of participating in the joint exhibition? What benefits are you hoping to gain?

A: This year marks the third time that Kai-Syuan Hospital has participated in the exhibition, and it's the first time we have been assigned to organize the Smart Healthcare Pavilion. We are honored to take on this role as the organizer and have expanded our invitations to medical centers and hospitals in the region to participate. Although during the invitation process, many hospitals expressed concerns that the technology being developed might not be mature enough, thus worrying about the effectiveness of the exhibition content, participating allows for interaction with visitors, creating new ideas through mutual exchange. The relationships between various units also become closer during the communication process at the exhibition.

Q: What is the main theme of this exhibition curation? What content do you aim to bring to the public through this exhibition?

A: Through the exhibition, we aim to present each unit's strengths clearly and succinctly, simplifying the complexities of medical content to make it accessible to all. We tailor different aspects of the content for different target audiences. The theme of the Smart Healthcare Pavilion is based on the concept of the ocean city and the imagery of whales, symbolizing the cohesion among various units.

The main focus of this Smart Healthcare Pavilion is "digitalization" and "green energy". The booth design also incorporates the concept of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). Among the exhibits, iSAFE, which won the 2021 GO SMART AWARD and the Government Service Award, is showcased. It can monitor physiological signals, improve manpower shortages, and achieve paperless benefits. In the future, we will continue to move towards ESG goals.

Q: What was the initial driving force behind promoting smart healthcare? What benefits has it brought to the medical field?

A: Currently, the three-shift system in healthcare work can lead to high staff consumption, particularly for nursing personnel. Robots can be utilized as auxiliary manpower during nighttime, and smart robots can even assist patients in reaching treatment rooms. Kai-Syuan Hospital is further researching what other services robots can provide.

In terms of nursing homes, there is a high demand for companionship, such as chatting, accompanying patients for medical visits, and assisting with personal care. This demand can be reduced through the use of robots.

Q: What industry-academia collaborations are currently underway? What are the plans for future development in smart healthcare?

A: Currently, collaboration between industry and academia in the field of AI is a trend. Kai-Syuan Hospital has been collaborating with Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology for many years. We also observe Taiwan's aging population trends over the next five to ten years, where smart healthcare will be necessary to achieve goals such as prevention and delay of disability, companionship, and physical enhancement. During the pandemic, our smart healthcare system allowed occupational therapists to assist the elderly in observing physical fitness and endurance without having to handle instruments directly, using artificial intelligence to help manage tasks.

Smart healthcare enables both medical staff and the public to receive more efficient services. However, with technology advancing rapidly and new technologies emerging in healthcare, it's essential to increase understanding among both the public and nursing staff to make smart healthcare more widespread. Through organizing the joint exhibition "Smart Healthcare Pavilion", bringing together medical institutions and schools in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region, we aim to showcase relevant technological equipment to the public in a clear and understandable manner. This allows the public to actually use and experience the benefits of smart healthcare, making medical technology less cold.