Samsung Medical Center Selected for Health Ministry's Remote ICU Cooperation Network Project

Serving as a Hub Hospital to Build a Mutual Growth Model with Local Hospitals

Samsung Medical Center announced on the 4th that it has been selected as an implementing institution for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s remote intensive care unit cooperation network project (e-ICU).

This project is being promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to improve the quality of critical care by building a cooperation system between local hospitals, with local governments and hub hospitals at the center. It aims to address the current shortage of intensivists and critical care nursing staff.

Only about 40% of general hospitals in Korea have dedicated intensivists. There is also a large gap in the quality of ICU care depending on hospital size. In the 4th Adequacy Assessment of Intensive Care Units, the average overall score for tertiary hospitals was 95.3 points, while general hospitals scored only 63.8 points.

In this project, Samsung Medical Center will serve as a hub hospital. Seoul Medical Center, Seonam Hospital, and Hyemin Hospital will participate as cooperating institutions. The total project budget is 2 billion won, including both national and local government funds. The hospital plans to establish a remote ICU platform and build an operational foundation by the end of October 2026.

Samsung Medical Center will support the monitoring of critically ill patients at local hospitals through an integrated control center. When abnormalities in patients’ vital signs occur, the hospitals will respond jointly. If necessary, they will also coordinate the transfer of critically ill patients. Taking into account the differing monitoring systems at each hospital, Samsung Medical Center will lead efforts to standardize them.

The hospital will also make active use of artificial intelligence technologies. It will develop a response model that detects changes in the condition of critically ill patients at an early stage. In the process of referring and returning patients, it will build a system that automates the entry of medical information.

Samsung Medical Center established the first Department of Critical Care Medicine in Korea in 2013. Since then, it has built a critical care system and accumulated related experience. Through this project, the hospital plans to share its clinical experience with local medical institutions.

Yang Jeonghun, Director of the Critical Care Center at Samsung Medical Center, said, "Once this project takes root, it will benefit medical institutions across the country," adding, "We will create a model of mutual growth with local hospitals." Park Seungwoo, President of Samsung Medical Center, said, "We expect to be able to support medical institutions that lack ICU resources," and added, "We will develop this into a sustainable cooperation system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.