Latest news with #TheHospitalAuthority
RTHK
21-07-2025
- Business
- RTHK
HA to slash costs by $1bn in efficiency drive
HA to slash costs by $1bn in efficiency drive HA Chief Executive Tony Ko (centre) says measures have been taken in various departments to compress costs and reduce staff workload. Photo: RTHK The Hospital Authority (HA) said a series of measures it has undertaken to streamline workflow and its procurement system could translate into savings of HK$1 billion, while patients would benefit through cheaper and a wider choice of medications. In a press briefing, the authority's chief pharmacist William Chui said a cost assessment panel set up to negotiate with pharmaceutical firms has paid dividends. 'We would negotiate the price based on scientific research and advice by medical economists,' he said, adding they would take reference from prices on the mainland. As a result, Chui revealed that seven out of 10 suppliers have agreed to lower drug prices, with an average reduction of 20 percent. HA Chief Executive Tony Ko, meanwhile, gave updates on the use of artificial intelligence tools to enhance efficiency and ease the workload of frontline staff. He pointed to a Smart Antibiotic Stewardship Programme which can automatically identify potentially inappropriate use of antibiotics through protocol-driven algorithm. Officially rolled out in January 2024, Ko said the tool saved time and effort as medics no longer had to comb through different databases to obtain patients' records. 'In the past, before we have this AI initiative, we need the expert colleagues, for example, our infectious disease expert or microbiology expert, to look into the various laboratory results to check the patient's conditions…before you decide whether you need to change antibiotics,' Ko said. 'We developed our own clinical management system for almost 30 years, and all the data are within our systems. Instead of asking people to do it manually, to check whether a certain patient still needed a certain broad-spectrum antibiotic, now it's all in the system and automated.' The HA has also been using automated tools to tackle the large number of medical and discharge reports, with around 100,000 such requests received annually. Ko said 80 percent of these reports can be generated by AI, reducing the time staff typically spent on this task by 40 percent, and their workload by one-third. Every report will be manually verified to ensure accuracy, he added, while complex cases still have to be handled entirely by physicians.
South China Morning Post
05-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Mixed medicine offers relief for Hong Kong patients with breathing problems
Respiratory disease patients can now receive integrated Western and Chinese medicine treatments at four Hong Kong public hospitals under a pilot scheme which aims to alleviate symptoms and reduce side effects. Advertisement The Hospital Authority said the pilot scheme targeting respiratory diseases had started at Haven of Hope Hospital in Tseung Kwan O in April last year and was now available at Kowloon, Ruttonjee and Grantham hospitals. 'This scheme targets patients aged 18 or above who have been diagnosed with asthma, bronchiectasis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and experience persistent respiratory symptoms,' said Rowena Wong How-wan, the authority's chief manager of Chinese medicine. 'After an assessment by doctors and Chinese medicine practitioners in our team, we will invite eligible patients to join the voluntary scheme. The fee for each treatment session is HK$120 [US$15.80].' The Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Programme now involves 26 hospitals providing stroke care, musculoskeletal pain management, cancer palliative care, cancer care, knee osteoarthritis management and respiratory disease management. Advertisement Dr Wong Wei-ying, deputy chief executive of Haven of Hope Hospital, said that as of the end of last month, 120 patients, aged 38 to 96, had taken part in the pilot scheme for respiratory diseases. Their average age was 75, with a male-to-female ratio of 3-1.
RTHK
04-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
HA expands Chinese-Western medicine services
HA expands Chinese-Western medicine services The number of designated disease areas within the programme has grown to six. Photo courtesy of Hospital Authority The Hospital Authority said over the first quarter of this year, its Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine (ICWM) services expanded from eight designated public hospitals to 26, totalling 65 service points. Rowena Wong, Chief Manager of the Chinese Medicine Department of Hospital Authority, said in light of Hong Kong's ageing population, authorities hoped to improve patient care by combining different types of treatments. "We have over 100 Chinese medicine practitioners joining our programme. All of them are trained. We are providing more training for them, including [those] that we send to the Guangdong province to join an enhanced inpatient training programme," she said. "We see that so far we are grooming the Chinese medicine practitioners into integrated programme areas, and so far, we have very good feedback." Additionally, the number of designated disease areas within the programme has grown to six, including a pilot programme for respiratory treatment. The pilot began at the Haven of Hope Hospital in April last year and has served approximately 120 patients as of March this year. The programme has since expanded to Kowloon Hospital, Ruttonjee Hospital and Grantham Hospital. Wong said the ICWM programme in general is a crucial initiative for advancing Chinese medicine. She added that the Health Bureau would unveil a development blueprint for Chinese medicine later this year, which was expected to provide clearer direction and strategies for enhancing the integration of Chinese and Western medicine.
