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The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Jockey Club Institute of Ageing organised an international symposium with the theme of “The Role of Digital Health in Integrated Care of Older People” yesterday (9 June), which drew more than 400 guests, who attended virtually. Supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the symposium brought together multi-disciplinary healthcare service providers, policymakers, scholars and researchers worldwide to discuss how digital health can be adopted to facilitate medico-social integration in the primary care of older people, as well as the introduction of the Jockey Club Community eHealth Project.

Officiating at the opening ceremony, Mr. Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities & Community, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “The Club has long supported active ageing in our community. We have launched the Jockey Club Community eHealth Care Project to encourage socio-medical collaboration and innovative use of technology to care for our senior citizens by identifying health risks at an early stage and empowering the elderly in managing their own health.”

Dr. Lam Ching-choi, SBS, JP, Chairman, Elderly Commission, HKSAR Government, said, “In the near future, digital health will enhance the delivery of healthcare, reduce the overall cost and, most importantly, support the elderly to achieve healthy ageing in place. ”

Professor Jean Woo, Director of CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, gave an introduction to the symposium. She said, “Services should be person-centred, optimise functional ability, compensate for loss of intrinsic capacity over time, be provided in community, integrated in a continuum, and empower the older person, as well as emphasising support for carers and care workers. ”

Professor Samuel Y.S. Wong, Professor and Director, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, CUHK, commented, “Hong Kong healthcare system needs to be reformed to provide accessible, coordinated, comprehensive primary care services with continuity of care. ”

Renowned scholars were invited to talk about the practice of digital health in integrated care for older people in Hong Kong, mainland China, France and Singapore, together with epidemiological evidence supporting the utility of intrinsic capacity as an outcome measurement of healthy ageing. Dr. Ruby Yu, Senior Research Fellow, CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, delivered a presentation on medico-social integration in community care of older people.

Other speakers were Professor Angela Leung from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Piu Chan from Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, China, Professor Bruno Vellas from Toulouse University Hospital, France, Associate Professor Reshma A Merchant from National University Hospital, Singapore and Professor Martin Prince from King’s College London, UK.

In addition to the speeches, the symposium also featured one forum and two panel discussions. During the forum, four experienced managerial staff from non-governmental organisations shared related experiences in the application of digital health in the integrated care of the elderly in a community setting. There were also social and healthcare service providers, policymakers and researchers actively engaged in dynamic discussions about the way forward for digital health in the integrated care of older people in Hong Kong. The discussions provided incisive ideas for the future development of the medico-social integration of the primary care of older people in Hong Kong.

For more information about the symposium, please visit: https://www.ioa.cuhk.edu.hk/ehealth-symposium.com