‘Indonesia will send largest number of participants to ISQua 2023 in Seoul’

Indonesia is expected to send the largest number of participants to the upcoming International Society of Quality in Health Care’s 39th International Conference (ISQua 2023) in Seoul. This is attributed to Indonesia's great interest in Korea's quality improvement in hospital services and its similarity to Korea in medical culture, as stated by the chief of the Korean Society for Quality in Healthcare (KoSQua).

ISQua 2023 will take place at the COEX Convention Center in southern Seoul from Aug. 27-30 under the theme "Technology, Culture, and Coproduction: Looking to the Horizon of Quality and Safety." 

KoSQua President Lee Wang-jun said ISQua 2023 will see the largest number of participants ever, with expectations of over 1,300 delegates attending the event. "Indonesia will have the largest delegation this year," Lee said during the KoSQua's spring conference on Thursday.

Lee also highlighted Indonesia's recent introduction of the hospital quality improvement (QI) certification system, making QI a significant topic in Indonesian healthcare. This has led high-ranking officials of the Indonesian government to show great interest in learning from Korean QI cases. Lee further emphasized that Indonesia's similar medical and cultural history to Korea sets it apart from European countries.

Expressing pride in the level of Korean healthcare, Lee drew a parallel between its popularity and competitiveness to that of K-pop on a global scale. He acknowledged significant growth and advancements in hardware, medical technology, software, and hospital management over the past 25 years.

According to the event's secretariat, the total abstract submissions for ISQua 2023 exceed 1,400, with Taiwan leading the list with 508 abstracts, followed by Korea with 114, Indonesia with 65, and India with 62. Among them, 296 oral abstracts (10-15 minutes) were accepted, with Taiwan having the highest number at 51, followed by Australia with 43 and Korea with 25.

To promote ISQua 2023, the event organizers will hold a week-long campaign called the "Peppermint Festival" in 500 hospitals across the country from Aug. 21-26, just before the conference. This campaign aims to recognize the efforts and achievements of hospitals in quality improvement and patient safety.

Then, on the first day of ISQua 2023, experts in quality healthcare will be encouraged to join "K-Walking Parade," an early morning walk around the area of COEX in Samseong-dong. 

The next day, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will deliver an opening speech. 

ISQua 2023 will be held in partnership with KoSQua, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), and the Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA). For more information, visit the website.