In this SGH Hospital of the Future episode, Associate Professor Goh Su-Yen and Dr Chanda Kendra Ho speak with podcast guest Professor Son Meong Hi, Chief Medical Information Officer, Samsung Medical Centre (SMC). In January 2024, SMC became the first healthcare provider worldwide to achieve Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Quadruple Stage 7 validation - the highest level of digital maturity across four domains - and scored a perfect 400 out of 400 on the Digital Health Indicator. 

Professor Son frames SMC's digital transformation around 3 areas: improving existing work through tools like closed-loop medication safety and the Digital Optimization for Coordinated Care (DOCC) operations platform; reducing non-clinical burden through robotic smart carts that save nurses over 30 minutes per shift; and enabling new care models, such as paediatric social robots and PRISM, a patient-reported outcomes platform with an 85% response rate across 35 departments. 

Looking ahead, she sees AI implementation progressing through model performance, process integration, and real-world adoption - with the latter two stages being where most efforts fall short. Meaningful AI impact requires close dialogue between technologists and clinical teams from the outset. 

Professor Son recognises that no single hospital has all the answers, making peer exchange between institutions like SMC and SGH essential to building the future of healthcare together.