Digital tools extend care outside hospital walls

Samsung Medical Center’s CMIO Dr. Meong Hi Son highlights digital health tools as critical for aging populations, emphasizing wearables and IoT to reduce hospital stays and enhance patient quality of life in South Korea. Home-based care solutions, integrated with AI-driven monitoring, enable remote patient management, cutting healthcare costs while maintaining clinical oversight for chronic conditions and post-operative recovery. Telehealth expansion, accelerated by workforce shortages, leverages real-time data from wearables to bridge gaps between hospital and home care, improving accessibility for rural and elderly patients. The shift reflects broader trends in digital health adoption, with Samsung Medical Center piloting IoT-enabled devices to track vitals, medication adherence, and mobility in high-risk demographic groups. Experts note this model could serve as a blueprint for global healthcare systems facing aging populations, balancing efficiency with personalized, tech-enabled care outside traditional clinical settings.