Center for Innovative Engineering Education and Samsung Medical Center Successfully Conclude Patient Experience & Medical Service Design Project

▲ Group photo of students participating in the Patient Experience & Medical Service Design Project

The Patient Experience & Medical Service Design Project, jointly organized by the Center for Innovative Engineering Education (Director: Junyoung Lee), Samsung Medical Center, and the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), was successfully held from January 20 to 24 at Samsung Life Building. A total of 52 students from six universities across Korea participated in this initiative, which aimed to drive medical service innovation and improve patient experiences.

The project focused on identifying challenges in the bio-digital healthcare field through interviews with medical professionals and patients as well as on-site observations (Town Watching), ultimately guiding participants toward creative solutions.

▲  Observing Samsung Medical Center & Interviewing Medical Staff and Patients

The event opened with a welcome speech by Director Junyoung Lee, followed by a presentation on Samsung Medical Center’s digital innovation in healthcare by Professor Woncheol Cha. Professor Sanghoon Seol then led a lecture on service design methodologies. Participants engaged in interviews with medical professionals (including Professor Taerim Kim and four other experts from Samsung Medical Center), as well as direct observations of hospital environments to explore opportunities for medical service improvements.

▲ Digital Twin-based Observation of Samsung Medical Center

On the second day, participants toured key medical facilities at Samsung Medical Center, gaining firsthand insights into hospital operations and medical environments. On the third and fourth days, they utilized digital twin technology to explore a virtual hospital simulation, followed by team-based problem-solving sessions. On the final day, teams presented their proposed solutions, which were evaluated by a panel of experts, including Professor Junyoung Lee (SKKU), Professor Sanghoon Seol, Professor Woncheol Cha and Professor Myunghee Son (Samsung Medical Center), and Professor Youngae Kim (Konyang University).

▲ Final Team Presentations and Evaluations

Nine teams showcased outstanding ideas, with Team "Good Luck" winning the Grand Prize for their real-time personalized schedule guidance system using kiosks and registration receipts: 1) Gold Prize: Team "4Care" (Enhancing patient experience in negative pressure isolation rooms), 2) Silver Prize: Team "Beyond ENTROPY" (Improving waiting and blood collection processes in pediatric phlebotomy rooms), 3) Bronze Prize: Team "SSIK" (Developing a pre-consultation medical questionnaire system), Team "Cider" (Enhancing nurse job satisfaction), 4) Engineering Innovation Awards: Teams "ER PASS" & "BUDDY BODY"

▲ Grand Prize Winners – Team "Good Luck"

Director Junyoung Lee of the Center for Innovative Engineering Education remarked, "This project has fostered the creation of innovative and practical solutions for medical service improvement. I hope that the efforts of our participants will contribute to the betterment of global healthcare and human well-being."