Tainan City Hospital's Smart Healthcare Upgraded, First Hospital in City with Highest International Certification

Tainan City Hospital has reached a significant milestone in its digital transformation, officially obtaining Stage 7 certification from the international Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). This achievement marks Tainan City Hospital as the first in the city to receive this highest international accreditation, signifying a major advancement in its smart healthcare and digital governance capabilities.

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The verification focus this time is not on the number of systems, but on whether digital capabilities are truly integrated into strategy, governance, and clinical processes, bringing measurable improvements.

The HIMSS EMRAM is a globally recognized standard for evaluating the maturity of electronic medical records and digital healthcare within medical institutions. It ranges from Stage 0 to Stage 7, with Stage 7 representing the pinnacle of digital integration, where technology is seamlessly embedded into clinical workflows to create a measurable and continuously improvable care loop. Tainan City Hospital had previously achieved Stage 6 in 2024 and has since focused on optimizing processes and systems to reach the ultimate goal of Stage 7.

Achieving Stage 7 certification holds substantial implications for smart healthcare governance. The hospital has established a patient-centered smart healthcare ecosystem that integrates electronic medical records, order entry systems, clinical decision support, smart nursing, smart pharmacy, and smart wards. This is complemented by cross-system information connectivity and closed-loop management for medications, laboratory tests, blood transfusions, and breast milk, all supported by barcode identification and system alerts to minimize human error.

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From closed-loop management and clinical decision support to responsible AI, all are centered on patient safety.

Hospital Vice President Wu Hsing-hsien emphasized that the verification focused not just on the number of systems but on how digital capabilities are truly integrated into strategy, governance, and clinical processes to yield measurable improvements. With patient safety as the core focus, the hospital continues to advance smart ward applications, automated dispensing equipment, and intelligent infusion pumps. It also leverages international FHIR standards and a medical data middleware to deepen cross-system integration, empowering healthcare teams with technology.

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Although Stage 7 is the highest international level of certification, it is not the end point, but a new starting point for continuous improvement.

Hospital President Tsai Liang-min views the Stage 7 certification not as an endpoint but as a new starting point for continuous enhancement. Future plans include further developing artificial intelligence for risk prediction, standardizing data interoperability with FHIR, expanding telemedicine services, and integrating smart sensors to create a safer and more intelligent healthcare environment. The goal is to transition care from passive recording to proactive alerts, providing the public with high-quality, trustworthy medical services.

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In the future, we will continue to deepen the application of artificial intelligence and risk prediction, FHIR standardized data interoperability, telemedicine, and smart sensors to create a safer and smarter medical environment.