On January 16, 2024, the Development Center for Biotechnology held the 27th SNQ National Quality Certification and National Biotechnology and Medical Care Quality Awards Ceremony at the Grand Mayfull Hotel Taipei. TSGH and its branch hospitals achieved outstanding results, bringing home numerous honors.
TSGH proudly won the Silver Award at the National Biotechnology and Medical Care Quality Awards, the highest standard in Asia and marking the most prestigious medical award of the year. Additionally, TSGH and its branch hospitals secured 21 SNQ National Quality Marks, making TSGH the most awarded medical institution nationwide.
This recognition reflects dedication and efforts of senior leaders and staffs of TSGH in advancing medical contributions and enhancing service quality, earning high acclaim from all sectors.
With guidance and support from Medical Affairs Bureau, Ministry of National Defense and collective effort by successive TSGH superintendents, the Taipei-based military medical center has accumulated 193 SNQ National Quality Marks since the certification program's inception.
At Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH), SNQ has become synonymous with continuous innovation and excellence in medical technology and quality. It has fostered an organizational culture of continuous improvement and advancement within our institution.
This year’s Silver Award winner, Director Tsai Tsung-Neng of the Division of Cardiology, highlighted the team's groundbreaking achievement in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning technology. By training AI models with extensive electrocardiogram (ECG) data and clinical records, TSGH cardiology team developed an early warning system capable of identifying high-risk patients at an early stage. This system has been fully integrated into the hospital information system and deployed across all clinical facilities hospital-wide.
The AI-ECG system can rapidly and accurately detect a wide range of cardiovascular diseases, providing crucial support in emergency settings and significantly reducing patient mortality rate. Notably, this is the first AI tool worldwide proven through clinical trials to lower mortality rates and represents the first randomized clinical trial demonstrating AI-driven ECG analysis improving survival outcomes. The research successfully established a standardized care protocol and has been published in leading international journals, including Nature Medicine and NEJM-AI, while also being cited in the European medical education guidelines (AMEE Guide).
Director Hsu Shun-Neng of the Nephrology Division introduced the AI-Driven Automated Hemodialysis System, an intelligent decision-support platform designed to enhance both treatment quality and medical efficiency for dialysis patients.
By integrating artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the system enables real-time monitoring of patients' vital signs and biochemical markers. It also provides smart alerts based on changes in patient conditions, assisting healthcare professionals in making timely and informed decisions.
Key features of the system include:
1. Smart Healthcare Management App for medical staff
2. Patient Home Care App for remote monitoring
3. Intelligent Dialysis Dashboard for comprehensive data visualization
4. AI Predictive Alert System to enhance patient safety
By seamlessly integrating applications for physicians, nurses, and patients, this system delivers personalized and precision-driven medical care across the entire dialysis treatment processes.
Director Hsu Po-Shun of Cardiac Surgery Division emphasized that heart transplantation is the standard treatment for late-stage heart failure. However, due to shortage of donors, many patients face organ failure and death before receiving a transplant. According to the Organ Donation and Transplantation Registration Center, in recent years, 350–400 patients in Taiwan have been on the heart transplant waiting list, but only 80–90 undergo transplantation, while 60–70 die while waiting.
To address this critical and pressing issue, TSGH has implemented the use of the temporary CentriMag ventricular assist device (VAD) to rescue patients with cardiogenic shock. This device provides mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for patients suffering from right, left, or biventricular heart failure. Additionally, it is combined with an oxygenator to support pulmonary function, improve hypoxemia, and maintain end-organ perfusion.
As of the end of 2024, TSGH has successfully treated over 150 cases, making us the leading center not only in Taiwan but also across Asia for this life-saving intervention. This advanced treatment offers a final line of hope for patients for on the brink of death fighting for life due to cardiogenic shock.