Pioneering the Future of Patient Care: Korea University Anam Hospital's Journey

“It is about enabling more patients to benefit from treatment through next-generation medical technology integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-in other words, realizing 'A hospital where research directly translates into treatment.'”

It has been about 10 years since Korea University Anam Hospital was designated as a research-intensive hospital (in 2013). With a voice full of pride, Vice President for Medical Research Tae Hoon Kim revealed the hospital's ultimate goal: to realize a world where even patients in medically underserved areas can receive treatment, based on the founding spirit of patriotism and philanthropy, and years of accumulated research know-how.

We met with Tae Hoon Kim, Vice President for Medical Research at Korea University Anam Hospital, who is firmly tightening the reins toward becoming a future hospital where clinical practice and research coexist.

-What are the representative achievements of the hospital as a research-intensive institution?

The distinct advantage of Korea University Anam Hospital is that it has established the research-intensive hospital system as a unified platform, allowing it to operate a full-cycle R&D engine that flows through research, validation, commercialization, and reinvestment into research. From the moment an idea is conceived, researchers receive one-stop support for statistics, IRB (Institutional Review Board), clinical trial design, validation, regulatory approval, and technology transfer, while maintaining close, continuous feedback with the clinical setting. Based on this system, the hospital has created diverse research outcomes, including the development of the world's first ultra-miniature robotic endoscope and real-time intraoperative brain tumor diagnosis medical device.

-What are the key areas of research focus?

The focus areas are 'Medical AI' and the 'KU Smart Healthcare Ward.' For Medical AI, we are developing innovative medical technologies through collaboration and joint research with the Korea University Department of Artificial Intelligence. The KU Smart Healthcare Ward serves as a test bed for applying innovative technology, where technologies developed by numerous companies and researchers are being validated in the new building’s 10th-floor ward. There are high expectations for the birth of this patient-centered smart ward.

-What are the benefits that the cloud-based Precision Hospital Information System (P-HIS) offers to research activities?

Developed domestically for the first time by Korea University Medicine, this system has brought us one step closer to big data-based customized medicine. By integrating and standardizing data from multiple medical institutions, we have been able to secure high-quality data essential for patient-specific precision medicine research. Furthermore, the highly secure cloud provides researchers with a stable and efficient research environment.

-We are curious about the secret to establishing a strong system of collaboration across industry, academia, research institutions, and hospitals

This achievement is thanks to the collective effort of diverse entities, each leveraging their own strengths. Notably, leading domestic companies such as LG, Kakao, and Naver Cloud are participating as joint research institutions in the Research-Intensive Hospital nurturing project. We have also maintained an active collaborative relationship with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) for 10 years, and since 2023, we have been conducting joint research with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

-How are you overcoming the difficulties and obstacles encountered?

We are taking care to choose appropriate terminology, respecting each other's fields of expertise and considering the language differences between the medical and IT sectors. However, difficulties arising from a lack of research funding and space are hard to resolve through our own efforts alone. Proactive support from the government and local authorities would be a great help.

-Research competition among hospitals has also intensified. What sets Anam Hospital apart?

Anam Hospital differentiates itself by focusing on discovering innovative technology items that can be practically utilized in the clinical setting and then advancing them to commercialization and practical application. Specifically, through tangible test beds like the KU Smart Healthcare Ward, we plan to actively support many companies and researchers.

-What are your thoughts on nurturing physician-scientists?

The medical data, patient samples, and clinical infrastructure held by the hospital are high value-added resources. If these are commercialized, they would significantly contribute to creating national wealth. To increase the number of physician-scientists dedicated to this research, a nationwide system must be established that compensates their time and effort. Major institutions like the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical Research Hospital in the US are generating over 1 trillion KRW in annual revenue through research achievement technology transfer, venture establishment, and equity profits.