Asan Medical Center named Asia's 1st IHI-certified geriatric specialty hospital

Asan Medical Center (AMC) has become the first hospital in Korea and Asia to receive international certification as a “hospital specializing in geriatric care.”

Asan Medical Center announced on Monday that it has received the highest rating of “Care Excellent” certification from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States. This certification recognizes the hospital's achievement in implementing an integrated geriatric care system throughout its entire hospital system.

This is the first such certification in Asia and the only one in Korea.

AMC has officially launched its comprehensive care program for severely ill elderly patients, “WithONE.” The name signifies that experts from various fields work together (With) to provide customized care for each patient (ONE).

WithONE encompasses early screening of high-risk elderly patients aged 65 and older upon admission, multidisciplinary team-based customized care during hospitalization, and post-discharge community linkage.

When a patient aged 65 or older is admitted, their health status is assessed using the “Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS),” and those classified as high-risk are referred to the Senior Patient Management Team through the hospital's computer system. Additionally, the hospital applies its “Care Risk Scale” to conduct a precise diagnosis and establish a customized treatment plan, according to the hospital.

Within 48 hours of referral, a geriatric nurse visits the patient to assess risk factors and potential causes of deterioration and provides customized treatment through a multidisciplinary program. During this process, the WithOne Team comprehensively evaluates care needs and potential risk factors based on the 4M framework: Matter (care elements), Mobility (mobility), Medication (medication management), and Mentation (mental function).

Based on these four areas, the team evaluates the patient's overall medical condition and daily life, identifying and preventing potential risks, such as falls, nutritional imbalances, and medication side effects. The rehabilitation medicine team, pharmacy team, nutrition team, nursing team, and social welfare team collaborate to establish a customized treatment plan for each patient and provide ongoing care that extends beyond their recovery.

Post-hospitalization management is also a core component of WithOne. For patients with risk factors such as mobility issues, living alone, or care gaps, the “Integrated Discharge Planning Service” connects them with home nursing agencies and care services linked to local welfare resources. An AI-based inquiry response system is also under development.

The number of older adult patients managed by the Senior Patient Management Team at Asan Medical Center increased by more than 18-fold, from approximately 160 in 2021 to 2,959 in 2024. Patient satisfaction exceeds 90 percent.

Asan Medical Center established the Senior Patient Committee in 2020, followed by the Senior Patient Management Team in 2023 and the Integrated Care Support Team in 2024. This year, it also registered the WithONE trademark, formalizing its model as a single hospital for severely ill older adults.

“About 40 percent of Asan Medical Center's inpatients are 65 or older, and the proportion of severely ill elderly patients is high. The key to preventing complications in elderly patients and achieving optimal treatment outcomes is a swift and specialized initial response,” said Professor Baek Ji-yeon of the Department of Geriatric Medicine. “Through the WithONE program, we aim to elevate the standard of elderly healthcare management in Korea and further develop a standardized, patient-centered care system tailored to the needs of elderly patients.”

Professor Son Ki-young of the Department of Family Medicine said, “I believe that it is the role of medical institutions to support older adult patients so that they can live independently after discharge. We will continue to identify local resources in various fields and provide customized welfare services to improve the overall quality of life after discharge.”