Korea to build ICT-based electronic ICU in 2 regions next year

Korea's first e-ICU (electronic-intensive care unit) using information and communication technology (ICT) will be built in two regions next year to strengthen the country's capacity to treat critically ill patients.

The e-ICU is a system that supports establishing and operating an integrated control center that enables regional medical institutions to monitor the status and condition of patients in intensive care units at medical institutions, warn against abnormalities, and conduct remote consultations.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday that it would launch a new project in 2025 to build a remote intensive care unit cooperation network, with a budget of 2.5 billion won ($1.74 million).

The remote intensive care unit project aims to build a network between regional hub hospitals and intensive care units at smaller hospitals using ICT to resolve difficulties in operating local hospital intensive care units and strengthen the capacity to treat critically ill patients.

The integrated control center will be staffed by medical personnel 24 hours a day and will provide integrated control of information, including the status of patients in local ICUs, bed availability, and the occurrence of patients with abnormal symptoms. It will also have alarm functions for quick response to detect deterioration in the condition of patients in local hospital ICUs and provide consultation services to patients as needed.

For this project, the ministry will select two regions and their medical institutions early next year to build remote intensive care units. After about a year of system construction and testing, the units will begin operating in 2026.

“Activating information exchange between hospitals by actively utilizing Korea's world-class ICT technology will be an effective solution to solve the shortage of medical personnel and infrastructure in the region,” said Ko Hyung-woo, a ministry officer responsible for supporting up-to-date healthcare system. “The ministry will do its best to make this project an important turning point in improving the operation system of intensive care units, one of the core areas of essential medical care in the region.”