“Innovating Health” Distinguished Speaker Webinar Series – Professor Wong Tien Yin
Digital technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), telemedicine, the internet of things (IoT), big data analytics and 5G networks, has vast potential to impact healthcare. However, the pace of adoption of digital technology has been slow in healthcare settings due to a complex interaction of technical and non-technical factors. For example, many AI and digital technology are tested in highly ideal “laboratory conditions” and not validated in “real-world” clinical settings that will consider local patient populations and context, making physicians and policymakers hesitant to embrace these technologies. Non-technical factors such as the acceptance from patients and physicians, support from professional bodies, data security and medico-legal risks, government funding and reimbursement also impede the adoption and scaling of such technology in healthcare. This talk will cover the challenge of integrating and deploying an AI algorithm (SELENA+) in developing and scaling a national telemedicine-based screening program in diabetic retinopathy, a blinding eye disease in diabetes. Understanding issues and challenges are critical for computer scientists, engineers, healthcare policymakers, healthcare leaders and program managers to implement digital innovation in healthcare settings. As the saying goes, “…change is not merely installing or using new technology but introducing and sustaining major changes to a complex system…”
Biography
Prof Wong completed medical school at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He obtained a MPH and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University, USA and received his clinical residency training in ophthalmology at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). Prof Wong is currently the Medical Director of the SNEC, and was previously Chair of Ophthalmology at NUS and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Prof Wong is a retinal specialist and physician-scientist, balancing clinical practice with a research and innovation portfolio on retinal diseases and ocular imaging, including AI. He has published >1,400 peer-reviewed papers (h-index of 148, 2018, 2020 Highly Cited Researcher). He has given >500 invited named, plenary, and symposium lectures globally, and received >US$100 million in grant funding. He is a two-times recipient of the Singapore Translational Researcher (STaR) Award. For his contributions, Prof Wong has been recognized with the Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award, the Arnall Patz Medal from the Macula Society, the Alcon Research Institute Award, the Jose Rizal Medal from the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and others. He has received the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award, the President’s Science Award, and the President’s Technology Award, the highest awards for healthcare and scientific contribution in Singapore. He is an elected international member of the US National Academy of Medicine.
Register the webinar here: https://nus-sg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OR243cxVQqigsFBi3uMDig
Download the poster here [pdf]
