Strategic Approach for Standardization on Ubiqitous Healthcare System

Park, Hyeoun Ae; Cho, In Sook

Abstract

BACKGROUND: As ubiquitous computing is being introduced in the health care sector due to increase in elderly population and chronic patients, development in sensoring and wireless communication technologies, information technology infrastructure and computerization of health care facilities, the concept of ubiquitous health is also being introduced. In order to vitalize and spread the ubiqiutous health, standardization of related information technology must be preceded anything else. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to review status of standaridization and standard adoption in domestic and international ubiquitous health care, and propose scope of standardization, a list of nessessary standards, and strategic approaches to develop standards based on the review.
METHODS
We reviewed components of ubiquitous health care system, scope of standardization in technology, application cases, and status of standard aoption based on literature search. Status of standardization of related information technology in health care domain was reviewed by domestic and international activities of related standard development organizations. Based on these review results, scope of standardization and strategic approaches to develop standards for the domestic ubiquitous health were developed and modified after consultation of expert panel.
RESULTS
Status of health care information standardization is in the early stage and information technology for ubiquitous health is in the exploratory stage in Korea. Accrodingly, it is proposed to develop standards for computerization of health care facilities, health information exchange, point-of-care bio-signal measurement, smart cards, and sensor technology in order by taking different approaches such as adopt or adapt international standards or develop domestic standards and introduce them as international standards according to possession of corresponding technology by domestic vendors and maturity of dometic vendors.