Dr Wong Chi-Huey, Academician of Academia Sinica, and Dr Chen Chien-Jen, former Vice President, both attended a forum on medical innovation as part of the Taiwan Expo USA 2022.  Dr Chen pointed out that an effective communication platform is the key to a win-win situation for Taiwan and the US.  For example, cross-border verification is especially important for the healthcare industry; and Taiwan has the capacity to help the world.

Dr Chen also mentioned that as technology advances, the healthcare industry in Taiwan is moving from precision treatment to precision prevention, thanks to Taiwan’s advantages in ICT.

 Dr Chen pointed to the 4Ps of future medicine: prediction, prevention, personalisation and participation.   Some prediction models are universal, while others are not.   For example, some American prediction criteria do not apply to Taiwan.  Dr Chen mentioned that there are specific prediction models for various diseases, such as chronic conditions, infectious diseases, cancers, etc.  Their prediction power can be verified through international cooperation projects; and Taiwan can help. 

Dr Wong said that the exportation of chips and panels to the US market helps greatly to promote the collaboration between Taiwan and the US.  The state-of-the-art ICT technology has already been applied to the medical field, creating a unique opportunity for Taiwan.

According to Dr Wong, as a trend, the health spending continues to grow; however, in Taiwan, the health spending accounts only for 6.6% of the GDP, well below the US average of 20% and the world average 11%.  The world-class healthcare quality in Taiwan is simply a miracle.

Dr Wong revealed that the US authority is interested in the NHI model in Taiwan.  The Taiwan Expo USA 2022 is a good showcase for Taiwan’s strengths which could help the US authority reduce spending, cut waste and increase the healthcare coverage.

【2022-10-13 / Liberty Times】