NTU and DOH Open Two Centers to Develop Health Data Applications

A ceremony marking the joint opening of the Collaboration Center of Health Information Application at NTU (CCHIA-NTU) and the NTU Health Information Research Center took place on NTU’s medical campus on November 29. NTU has been commissioned and funded by the National Science Council’s Board of Science and Technology to carry out the Health Data Value Added Models Project. The two new centers, while working within the parameters of Taiwan’s Personal Data Protection Act, will analyze Department of Health data with the goal of improving public health and helping people live longer, happier lives.

The opening ceremony was a modest and solemn affair that was attended by important NTU and government officials. Among these officials were NTU’s Vice President for Financial Affairs Ming-je Tang, Dean of the College of Management Shu-hsing Li and NTU Hospital Superintendent Ming-feng Chen, who serve jointly as directors of the Health Data Value Added Models Project, as well as Executive Yuan Minister Without Portfolio Simon Chang and Director Lee-hua Chen and Section Chief Shih-hsien Chan of the DOH Office of Statistics.

Speaking at the ceremony, NTU Vice President for Academic Affairs Ching-hua Lo, at the behest of NTU President Si-chen Lee, delivered a message of congratulations, congratulating Vice President Tang in particular for his successful promotion of the Health Data Value Added Models Project. Vice President Lo also represented NTU in expressing gratitude to Minister of the National Science Council Cyrus C. Y. Chu and Minister Chang for their support. Lo went on to extend special thanks to Director Chen and Section Chief Chan for granting approval for the CCHIA-NTU to kick off trial operations and begin accepting data requests from NTU researchers on December 3.

Minister Chang, who formerly served as head of Google's hardware operations in Asia, praised NTU for its efforts in promoting value added applications for health data. Minister Chang expressed his hope that the new centers, while working to ensure the privacy of individuals through the Personal Data Protection Act, would use their achievements to promote the concept of open data, and transform data into information and information into valuable knowledge so as to develop applications that will lead to the betterment of society.

Director Chen of the DOH Office of Statistics expressed his appreciation for NTU’s support of the CCHIA-NTU and heaped endless praise on the NTU Health Information Research Center for its human-oriented approach and the space and planning it has provided to guarantee data security.

The opening of the centers marks a milestone for NTU in the field of health data research. NTU’s researchers will take advantage of the centers’ resources to make further advances in the analysis of health data. Through their endeavors, they will become examples for the nation and fulfill the mission and ideals of NTU.