Sustainability

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Risk and Crisis Management 

Effective risk management is key in support of long-term operation plan and the organization’s flexibility. Owing to current risks and potential risks in the future, BDMS realizes the significance of risk management and takes into consideration 3 aspects of sustainability: namely, environmental, social and governance (ESG). These three aspects are deemed crucial components of good corporate governance and a key mechanism of any decision making and operation plans to minimize business risks. The process also helps lessen obstacles and unpredictable factors in terms of profits and operation while building trust among investors and every stakeholder group.

Risk Governance 

The Company acknowledges the significance of risk management as an essential element of good corporate governance. Accordingly, the Company has defined clear roles and responsibilities for Enterprise Risk Management at both board oversight and operational levels. The Board of Directors has appointed the Risk Management Committee to scrutinize the Company’s risk management policy and directions, as well as to monitor and follow up the compliance of risk management policy and procedures. At the operational level, the Company follows the 'Three Lines of Defense' principle for risk management roles and responsibilities, as follows. 

Risk Governance Framework 

Dedicated committee and roles 

Roles and responsibilities 

Board Oversight 

Board of Director 

 

  • Oversight the internal control system and inspect suitable risk management procedures.
  • Establish an efficient internal control system and audit system for the purpose of audit as well as supervise the operation and coordinate with the Audit Committee.
Risk Management Committee 
  • Oversight the Company’s risk management policy and provide directions as well as to monitor and follow up the compliance of risk management policy and procedures.
1st Line of Defense Front-line employees as risk owners such as Risk Manager, Patient Safety Coordinator 
  • Plan and manage work in accordance with set guidelines and within budget framework.
  • Collect data on high-severity risk incidents and complaints that may impact the company’s reputation.
  • coordinate with network hospitals, experts, and relevant stakeholders to convene meetings to review potential risks or incidents and determine facts within specified timelines, summarize key risk findings.
  • Assess review and correlate with investigative evidence with relevant laws and regulations to plan preventive measures and corrections.
  • Report to superiors in the chain of command.
2nd Line of Defense 

Chief Administrative Officer and 

Enterprise Risk Management Steering Committee 

  • Evaluate all organizational risk areas within the BDMS domain, considering both internal and external factors.
  • Prioritize those exposures to develop an effective risk management framework.
  • Develop and promote risk management policies, plans, and guidelines organization wide.
  • Organize regular meetings to monitor progress and resolve issues quarterly or more frequently as needed.
  • Report progressive implementation to the Risk Management Committee and BDMS Policy and Strategy Planning Working Team quarterly.
3rd Line of Defense Internal Audit Director and Internal Audit Unit 
  • Systematically monitor business practices, ensuring strict compliance with internal controls, legal disclosure requirements, and assessing risk management for the Company’s business and finances.
  • Plan the Company's annual audit and internal audit activities.
  • Review internal investigation evidence for suspected fraud, irregularities, or significant control system defects, and report findings to the Board of Directors for consideration.
  • Ensure that the Company has established suitable risk management and control systems that encompass the entire organization, and suggest appropriate and efficient management of risks associated with the Company’s business operations.

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BDMS operates in line with the Risk Management Policy where the Board of Directors appoints the Enterprise Risk  

Management Steering Committee, comprising of independent representatives from relevant departments as members of the Committee. Their responsibilities are to review and screen the risk management policy and guidelines in business operation, starting from risk identification and assessment, guideline establishment and integrated management throughout every organizational activity. The risk management performance is quarterly reported to the Risk Management Committee. Simultaneously, any emerging risks related to medical service business in line with global trends, population structure and business operation technologies must also be assessed.   Furthermore, BDMS emphasizes proactive risk management approach as well as encourages the incident search procedure that may incur risks and prevent them from affecting any patients. Besides, BDMS promotes all employees, medical doctors, nurses, multidisciplinary professionals, including employees of the hospitals and of the business groups to collaboratively participate in quality activities to consistently improve medical treatment processes to deliver the utmost safety to all patients by taking into consideration the environmental, social and governance sustainability.  

In 2023, BDMS also emphasized the safety of surgical and obstetric patients to ensure the quality management and development of pregnant women and obstetric patients in line with the standards of the company groups while performing into consideration the utmost safety of all patients. Consequently, BDMS reconsider “BDMS Safe pregnancy and Delivery Working Committee” and appoint the OB and GYN Safety Working Team as“BDMS Safe pregnancy and Delivery OB and GYN Working Committee” with the responsibility to determine treatment guidelines for pregnant women and child delivery, obstetrics and gynecology, including improvement of quality, knowledge, capabilities and skills in patient care as well as improve the operating results for mother and newborns according to the international standards. 

Effective risk management is key in support of long-term operation plan and the organization’s flexibility. Owing to current risks and potential risks in the future, BDMS realizes the significance of risk management and takes into consideration 3 aspects of sustainability: namely, environmental, social and governance (ESG). These three aspects are deemed crucial components of good corporate governance and a key mechanism of any decision making and operation plans to minimize business risks. The process also helps lessen obstacles and unpredictable factors in terms of profits and operation while building trust among investors and every stakeholder group. 

BDMS Risk Factors  

According to the 2023 risk factor analysis, BDMS categorized risks from the business operations as follows :  

BDMS Risk Factors  

Clinical Risk & Quality 

Disease diagnosis, treatment by surgery or operation, manage high-risk and highly complex pregnancy and surgical patients.   

Operational Risk 

Maintain the standards on patient information management and communication between patients, their families and medical personnel. 

Human Capital Risk 

Manage adequate human resources, knowledge development, personnel capability, succession planning and suitable remunerations.  

Financial Risk 

Assess financial risks, liquidity, investment and budget risks. 

Technological Risk 

Review the information security procedure, website’s security and legal risks related to information security. 

Regulatory & Legal Risk 

Monitor online products and services that fail to register with e-commerce, direct marketing, consent prior to operation or providing any services, license extension, compliance with environmental laws and taxes of the industrial sector or carbon dioxide. 

  

Environment and Hazard Risk 

Handle with climate change and natural disaster, reduced or deficient natural resources, pollution from treatment procedures, chemical contamination, storage, removal of hazardous waste and infectious waste, compliance with laws and regulations concerning the environment.  

 Reputation Risk 

Manage reputation risks on branding or public perception. 

 BDMS Occurrence Reporting 

BDMS sets forth the occurrence reporting system for employees and related internal and external personnel in case of any risks or incidents in the business operations. All personnel have the responsibility to manage such incident in a timely manner and must report the incident through the specified channels, both online and regular, within 8 hours after such incident takes place, with the aim of investigation and data analysis on the impact level. The impacts can be categorized in clinical aspects, including other aspects as follows: 

 Each impact level results in different internal investigation methods. The occurrence will be reported to the executives on a monthly and quarterly basis. 

The risk appetite is at level Low to Medium only (Risk score below and equal to 0 is acceptable and depends on hospitals aspects). 

Risk Level 

Description

Low

Risk appetite level with existing control and regular follow-on risk level during operation

Medium

Risk appetite level, the Company need to establish measures to manage potential impacts not over than 1 fiscal year

High

Unacceptable risk level, the Company need to establish measures to manage potential impacts and to decrease risk level as medium to low within 6 months

Extreme

Unacceptable risk level, Immediate risk management measures are required to manage potential impacts and to decrease risk level as medium to low

Audit of the risk management process 

Internal Audit 

The Audit Committee has roles and responsibilities, including ensuring that the Company has established suitable risk management and control systems that encompass the entire organization and suggesting appropriate and efficient management of risks associated with the Company’s business operations. Audit Committee has assigned the internal auditor team to set plan for the Company's annual audit. BDMS’s internal audit process is in accordance with International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) by Institute of Internal Auditors. The internal audit plan covers reviewing the effectiveness of control, including IT reliance processes and non-IT reliance processes of hospital in BDMS groups and its subsidiaries. The project-based internal audit includes reviewing the effectiveness of the risk management process to assess control effectiveness and mitigation measures. The internal audit is conducted to check alignment of regulatory compliance and external relevant standards, such as regulatory requirements and international standards, such as IT Risk Management under ISO 27001, and requirements based on the Personal Data Protection Act 2019. In 2023, project-based risk management audit included areas of shared service outsource, medical equipment, procurement, HR, IT operation and security risk compliance.  

External Audit 

Additionally, in 2023, BDMS's has engaged third-party auditors to assist with audit procedures on Risk Management process related to documented policies, procedure relevant to system/data access and the effectiveness of Information Technology operation systems and controls related to the Company’s information system and internal accounting control systems. 

 

The internal audit process which cover risk management process are demonstrated below : 

A diagram of a business process

Description automatically generated

Risk Review 

BDMS has disclosed two risk assessments based on the Company’s risk management procedures. The information contains risk descriptions, type of risks, potential impacts, risk appetite levels and mitigation action as described below. 

 

Type : Risk 1: Clinical Risk 

Type of risks   

Operational risks - Clinical/ Patient Safety 

Description 

As BDMS is engaged in hospital operations to provide medical services, patient surgeries, and other procedures, it is crucial for BDMS to rigorously manage and prevent any failures or interruptions during these operations. Such failures could result in incomplete treatment or surgery plans. Therefore, BDMS must ensure that medical personnel have the necessary authorization to perform specific medical procedures or access certain patient information. Additionally, BDMS should establish guidelines to support unusual high-risk cases. 

Risk Exposure 

  • High risk level (High impact and possible probability), require action to minimize risk to a target level of acceptable loss exposure 6 months.
  • BDMS exposed to risk associated with clinical sentinel event, malpractices, medical regulatory and legislative changes.

Impact 

The risk of Medical error may result in noncompliance penalties, lawsuit and reputational damage. 

Risk Appetite 

  • % Privilege compliance: Overall = 100%
  • % Privilege compliance related procedure = 10%
  • Cost of poor Quality per core revenue = 0.32%
  • Safe surgery policy compliance 80%
  • Overall Safety culture survey result 70% (benchmark AHRQ,US)

Mitigation actions 

Proactive prevention to minimize the occurrence of incidents that could harm patients or the organization .The key activities involve risk assessment, developing safety protocols, staff training, and continuous quality improvement. For example 

  • Standardize clinical practice guidelines for high risk disease/medical condition
  • Promote Safe surgery policy and Pre-operative conference of high risk surgery
  • Implementing EHR safety features
  • Maintain skill; Regular staff training and education
  • Enterprise Risk Management Award & STOP THE LINE Campaign- Maintain the trust of the public, staff, and hospitals that patient safety is a topmost priority
  • Enhance general awareness and disseminate the learnings about patient sentinel events, root factors, and mitigation strategies

 

Type : Risk 2: Environment/Safety Risk 

Type of risks 

ESG risks – Risk of Inadequate Response to Climate Change-related Disasters 

Description 

Severe climate change challenges forecasting and may disrupt BDMS operations in Bangkok and neighboring areas, with risks such as windstorms and floods. Additionally, operations in Southern Thailand's coastal areas face sea level rise risks, It is important for BDMS to prepare an emergency plan in case of any disaster occurring during medical operations. 

Risk Exposure 

  • High risk level (Medium impact and likely probability), require action to minimize risk to a target level of acceptable loss exposure within 6 months.
  • BDMS exposed to risk associated with physical hazard from climate change, disaster management, GHG emissions and staff injuries and fatalities.

Impact 

The risk of inadequate response to climate change-related disasters may disrupt the consistency of medical services provided to patients, impacting customer access to medical services and disrupting transportation activities within the business chain. 

Risk Appetite 

  • % compliance of environmental law = 100%
  • % Emergency plan (High risk area) =100%

Mitigation actions 

  • Follow up and evaluate risks from disasters as well as specify the response plan for both sudden situation and business continuity plan in various cases to reduce the severity and avoid long-term risk. To achieve this end, BDMS has organized the operation plan in line with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), including the monitoring procedures, risk management strategy, specification of objectives and indicators.
  • Plans for business continuity in case of climate-related disaster and other crisis such as water resources crisis to ensure business continuity when being confronted with natural disaster.

 

Type Risk 3: IT Security Risk 

Type of risks 

Technology risks – IT Security 

Description 

BDMS relies on digital technology and data security as key drivers to deliver services and operate with quality, compliance, and consistency, ensuring relevance to the information security system. The company needs to ensure that the information system and servers hosting data are adequately protected and secured. 

Risk Exposure 

  • Extreme risk level (Extreme impact and possible probability), require action to minimize risk to a target level of acceptable loss exposure immediately.
  • BDMS exposed to risk associated with cybercrime, information security and crisis management.

Impact 

The risk of insufficient server support or protection could result in data breaches or cybercrimes, potentially impacting the company's reputation, incurring non-compliance penalties, and eroding customer trust and revenue. 

Risk Appetite 

  • % of server under support on protection = 100%
  • % of user via internet control = 100%
  • % of Service account control = 100%
  • % of vulnerability scan/ penetration test on critical system = 100%

Mitigation actions 

  • Apply principle and international standards such as ISO 27001, data safety management system and ISO 27799, safety system of health-related data to become an operational framework of cyber safety, information technology and data protection.
  • Implement IT governance to manage generated patients’ data to support various Hospital Information Systems under BDMS network which is considered a crucial system of the hospital.
  • Consistently organize training programs and create awareness of cyber safety and data protection for personnel.

 

Type : Risk 4: HR 

Type of risks 

Human Capital risks – Workforce Shortage in Focus Nurse 

Description 

Employee retention and attraction are crucial, especially as the demand for labor in the medical service industry rises, leading to higher turnover rates. It poses a risk for BDMS to retain high-potential employees in key focus groups, essential for maintaining consistent, high-quality medical services. 

Risk Exposure 

  • High risk level (High impact and possible probability), require action to minimize risk to a target level of acceptable loss exposure 6 months.
  • BDMS faces a risk of workforce shortage, failure to attract/ retain top talent, especially in the Focus Nurse group,

Impact 

The risk of insufficient high-potential employees may impact the consistency of medical services provided to patients, affecting customer satisfaction, operation time-range period, and causing reputational damage. 

Risk Appetite 

  • % of full time per FTE = 78.22%
  • % of retention rate = 85.81%
  • % of full time employee with more than 5 years working experience = 58.17%
  • % of employee with focus nurse license with more than 5 years working experience = 56.11%
  • % turnover rate = 13.92%

Mitigation actions 

  • Emphasizing appropriate welfare and benefits, including employee well-being, succession plan, scholarship, career path  and quality of life, encourages and promotes morale.
  • Building a positive workplace environment fosters mental and physical happiness and safety.
  • Develops a survey of remunerations provided in the labor market to compare with existing remuneration structure to be competitive with the labor market.
  • Upgrading recruitment and sourcing procedure across BDMS to attract high caliber skilled nurses and other clinical staffs.

 

Risk Culture

Regular risk management education for all non-executive directors 

BDMS Board of directors has attended on Risk Management Program for Corporate Leadership program arranged by Thai Institute of Directors (IOD). The program is designed for Board of Directors, Risk Committee and C-Suites to understand about their roles in overseeing different types of risks which also include risks arising from opportunity management and business crises. The program reflects through the perspectives of corporate leaders who are responsible for supervising and monitoring the work of executives who directly manage the risks 

Integration of Risk Culture across organization on risk management principles 

BDMS fosters a culture of accountability and proactive risk management, empowering employees to identify and address risks in alignment with the company's objectives. Several trainings and activities to increase the awareness for risk management are provided to employees as follow: 

The Enhancing BDMS Safety Culture Program  

In 2023, BDMS launched the Enhancing BDMS Safety Culture Program to enhance the overall resilience of service quality and safety in BDMS operations. This program aims to raise employee awareness and encourage the reporting of risks occurring across procedures through the reporting system. It also promotes teamwork to ensure the safety of all patients, employees, and stakeholders, fostering a culture of learning from incidents, preventing their recurrence, and extending preventive measures to encompass other BDMS network hospitals. This enables proactive safety operations across the project consistently. The program comprises two projects that provide awards for employees who participate. These projects are: 

STOP THE LINE for Safety: The project aims to instill a safety culture within the organization and communicate proactive safety policies and guidelines. In cases where employees or doctors witness incidents or potential risks that may impact safety, such as clinical safety, information security, IT security, human rights, transparency, or violent acts or harassment, they are encouraged to report the incident promptly. Those receiving reports must listen attentively, avoiding prejudice, and carefully analyze information to rectify the situation before resuming any services or operations.

BDMS ERMA 2023: The project aims to praise employees and BDMS hospital groups for their outstanding commitment to safety and risk culture involving in analyzing sentinel events to initiate mitigation measures aimed at improving operational activities and enhancing the quality of service and safety provided to patients.

 

BDMS Risk Management Certification Program 

In 2023, BDMS arranged “BDMS Risk Management Certification Program” class 1 which was the training in a form of presentation and simulation training via online and on-site, with a total of 38 hours. This training was a mandatory course for patient safety coordinators and complaint handling officers of the organization. The program is divided into 15 topics such as risk management system, hospital quality system, complaint and crisis management system and safety culture in the organization. The practical part of the program is to apply the theory into practice by providing workshops and simulations such as use of tools to search for the root cause of the problem and complaint handling skills and practices in which the participants can practice via 2 different simulations. 

Mandatory risk management training  

BDMS has implemented a policy to establish risk management training as mandatory for all employees. BDMS recognizes that the risk of clinical lawsuits is often attributed to miscommunication between healthcare providers and patients. In 2023, one of the mandatory courses related to risk management was the 'Informed Consent' course. This course aimed to help employees understand the potential impact of miscommunication between medical service providers and patients. The course illustrated the importance of clearly and fully informing patients, ensuring they understand all aspects before consenting to medical procedures. It also covered managing situations involving           non-consenting patients and the appropriate actions to take in emergencies when patients are incapable of giving consent. A total of 31,465 employees attended this course, with 72% passing the test. 

Additionally, there is also a mandatory training that the doctors and dentists are required to attend. The BDMS Mandatory Courses with a total of 5 courses as follows: 

  • BDMS Bylaws
  • Code of Behavior
  • Informed Consent
  • Legal Issues in Insured Patient Administration for Physicians
  • BDMS PDPA Awareness Training for BDMS Physicians

These courses encompass the Code of Conduct and good practices for doctors and dentists, including PDPA, informed consent, and other relevant laws to ensure doctors’ awareness of insured patients as well as to communicate and foster an understanding of correct medical practices which shall be in line with BDMS Bylaws. These 5 courses are mandatory courses for all BDMS doctors and dentists to attend via the BDMS MSO Training. 

 

Risk Management Process in BDMS New Product and Service Development Process 

 

BDMS evaluates and assesses the potential risks and issues in the new product and service development process using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). The analysis commences from the fundamental of the process operated by the personnel in related fields. The representatives of Quality Centre are responsible for efficiently analyzing the potential defaults and impact as well as monitoring the outcome for at least 4 consecutive months. The report must be quarterly submitted to the related Committee with the following steps: 

 

Financial incentives which incorporate risk management metrics  

BDMS has integrated risk management metrics into employees' performance evaluations, extending from operational staff to executive leadership. This strategic integration ensures that risk awareness and mitigation efforts permeate throughout the organization. The KPIs for CEO and Hospital Directors is relied on Risk Management. The financial incentive is provided to Executives in relation to achievement of risk performance indicators, including  Cost of Poor Quality, Achievement of Sentinel Event Management, and Achievement of Utilization Management (UM) Indicators. 

 

Emerging Risks 

A. Emerging risks of Thailand's First Climate Change Act  

Background 

Climate change poses a threat to nations across the world, and no exception to Thailand. The Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE) with support from the Climate, Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (CCMB) is in the process of drafting Thailand’s first climate legislation, “the (Draft) Climate Change Act and is anticipated to be presented to the Thai Cabinet by               mid-year 2024 and expect to launch within 3-5 years, serving as a legislative framework to direct the Thailand towards achievement goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2050 and Net zero emissions by 2065. The (draft) act lays out the mandates for a transformation towards a greener economy, aligning national efforts with international best practices. The Draft Climate Change Act is set to introduce measures, including  

1. Mandatory GHG accounting: Mandate private sector to report GHG emissions, conduct annual 3rd party verification to certify carbon footprint of organization (CFO), and conduct assessment of carbon footprint of product (CFP). 

2. Establishment of a Climate Change Fund: which will offer financial support for GHG reduction projects. This will expand the current scope of government initiatives, such as tax exemptions through the Board of Investment (BOI), electric vehicle subsidies from the Excise Department, and support for renewable energy projects via the Power Development Fund

3. Carbon pricing mechanism: Emission Trading System (ETS) and carbon taxes, to incentivize the reduction of emissions and promote sustainable practices across various sectors. 

 

Significant potential impact of the risk and mitigating actions 

Non-compliance with the future Climate Change Act could have significant impacts for BDMS, including an increased expense due to mandatory carbon taxes. Failure to align with the Act may result in companies missing out on tax incentives intended to foster climate-related and clean solutions, thereby escalating operational expenses. Moreover, legal challenges could arise from not adhering to the emerging climate regulations expected to take effect within the next 3-5 years. Misalignment of Act due to inadequate disclosure of Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions and failure to meet committed GHG reduction targets, may result in increased operating costs due to penalties. These could also affect company's reputation, leading to a loss of public trust and investor confidence and potentially impacting financial stability and future investment opportunities.  

To mitigate the risks, BDMS has taken initiatives as follows. 

1. Commit to set Net Zero Target beyond Thailand’s aspiration: BDMS declares to achieve Net Zero by 2050 through BDMS Green Healthcare.

2. BDMS is enhancing the transparency in GHG reporting via conducting additional GHG emissions accounting for GHG scope 3 inventory and set a plan to develop report in accordance with IFRS S2 standard by 2026

3. BDMS has demonstrated the measures to make transition towards a low-carbon society by striving to implement more renewable energy practice. For example, BDMS targets all hospital network groups and its subsidiaries to a 100% use of renewable energy. In 2050, the renewable energy ratio is expected to be 30% of the total energy consumption in parallel with the purchase of the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC).

4. BDMS also launch a plan to establish a network for sustainable medical business development across the entire supply chain by 2030.

 

B. Emerging risks of AI and Medical Technology Transition in Healthcare sector   

The public research defined that Thailand continues to experience a shortage of skilled professionals in Artificial Intelligence (AI).  A growing need for AI specialists demands a broader trend where the development of career skills must evolve in response to the transformation of the industrial structure brought about by the integration of AI technology. In 2022, the Thai government announced plans to promote the use of artificial intelligence across targeted industries. This initiative will be guided by the (Draft) Thailand National AI Strategy and Action Plan, which spans a period of six years from 2022 to 2027.  The (Draft) plan is designed to focus on three key objectives: (1) building human capacity and advancing technology, (2) fostering economic growth, and (3) generating positive social and environmental impacts.  

The plan is focused on sectors that demand high levels of expertise or advanced skills, such as the medical and healthcare industry. The government's support plan includes measures such as ensuring readiness of AI application in ethical, legal, and regulatory aspects, developing a robust national infrastructure for AI development, upgrading the skills of the workforce to meet future demand, and promoting the use of AI in economic sectors to drive innovation and competitiveness. It also includes consideration of tax exemptions through the Board of Investment (BOI) for companies that invest in the scientific research in        AI/Digital Technology, AI Talent development and AI Skills, the Future of Work and inclusion and Social Well-Being                  (Social innovation).  

Significant potential impact of the risk and mitigating actions 

BDMS is in a targeted industry group (Medical and healthcare sector) of the (Draft) Thailand National AI Strategy and Action Plan.  A lack of alignment with the national AI strategy within 3 years may lead to shortage in advanced skilled workers proficient in AI, impeding the company's innovation and ability to keep up industry developments. The reluctance to adopt AI in operation may result in lagging behind peers, with less efficient diagnostics processes. Failure to implement AI technology in medical surgeries and treatments such as Teleradiology for chest x-ray could lead to loss in market share of Teleradiology that can generate revenue with estimation of 27.5 million Baht. Misalignment of adoption in AI leads to missing out on tax incentives for     AI skill development increasing operational expenses. In addition, legal challenges and damage to reputation may arise from         non-compliance with future AI regulations within 3-5 years, while ethical missteps in AI use could diminish patient trust.

BDMS is well aware of AI technology transition. Hence, to mitigate the risks, BDMS has integrated AI Journey for Healthcare Services​ operation by taking several proactive steps:

1. Medical AI application and collaboration:  

  • BDMS invested in Thai Healthtech entrepreneurs , leading start up in medical AI developer of Medical Large Language Models (Medical LLMs). The initiative is set to elevate Thailand's medical capabilities by integrating AI to enhance the interpretation and analysis of laboratory tests. This AI technology will act as solution for disease screening and diagnosis, data analysis for service improvement, technology for work process reduction, technology for timely health monitoring, and technology for sustainable medical services.
  • In 2023, BDMS invested over 1.5 billion THB in Serie A level investment in Thai startup companies. This investment led to the successful launch of several projects, such as the Perceptra Project to uses AI to read x-ray results for medical radiologists, OOCA application that was developed for use in online consultations with psychiatrists and psychologists,“BeDee” application, providing Tele-health, Tele-pharmacy, Tele-medicine service, medical supplies (Health Mall), health knowledge through curated Health content.

2. BDMS AI Use Cases:  

1. AI Symptom checker:  BDMS has launched an AI Symptom Checker through an AI Chatbot named "Ally," which enables patients to perform self-assessments of their symptoms. This AI-driven solution allows BDMS to streamline the traditionally time-consuming process of symptom checking. Additionally, it aids in the consolidation of patient data for the development of subsequent medical plans

2. BDMS Digital Front Door: In its mission to become a smart hospital, BDMS has implemented AI technology in its smart front door registration and queuing system. Patients at BDMS can utilize the digital front door for self-registration, queuing, and insurance management. The AI generates medical history analyses, which help patients significantly reduce the time spent on these processes by 50% compared to traditional methods, while also minimizing risk from human errors. Additionally, the AI offers benefits to BDMS by reducing paper usage and lessening the workload of medical personnel.

3. BDMS Teleradiology: BDMS employs an AI platform called "Inspectra CXR" to enhance the efficiency of chest X-ray diagnoses. This solution guarantees high performance and accurate diagnoses, with each case taking less than 1 minute to diagnose, compared to the average time of 16.56 minutes per case by radiologists. The solution is designed to reduce the workload of medical personnel by 70% and deliver accurate results through an abnormality score and heatmap. It also aims to reduce the average reading time per case by 50%, thereby speeding up the medical decision-making process and accelerating the turnaround time for checkup reports by up to 10 times.

4. BDMS AI Lab Interpretation: BDMS has utilized AI for the interpretation of health check-up data. This solution is designed to enhance the patient experience by providing automated health check-up data interpretation through infographics.

5. AI interpretation:  BDMS has introduced an AI-powered interpretation chatbot to bridge the language barrier gap. This solution is set to enhance the efficiency of interpretation services by integrating with 14 workflows of the checkup process.

6. BDMS Automated Speech Recognition: The use of AI with voice recognition to automate English and Thai voice recognition for medical record. This advancement allows BDMS to reduce errors in medical documentation.

7. Happy Bot BDMS has deployed robots to handle the distribution of medication within the hospital. This will increase efficiency, reduce human error, and also minimize the risk of hospital-acquired infections as robots can operate with minimal human interaction. Upskill resource in AI and medical technology adoption “Generative AI Hybrid Learning 2023 of Phyathai Hospital Group and Paolo Hospital Group.In 2023, BDMS develop a comprehensive internal training program called “Generative AI Hybrid Learning 2023” to directors , managers and all staffs. The program focused on the use of AI and its applications in healthcare. This program should aim to upskill existing employees and attract new talent with AI expertise and contribute to the operation efficiency and cost effectiveness. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation, the company can build a workforce that is well-equipped to handle AI technologies and adapt to future advancements.