The Ministry of Science and ICT, together with the National IT Industry Promotion Agency, announced that it will officially launch the “Dr. Answer 3.0” project starting on the 31st (Monday). This project leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technology to support patients’ health management in daily life after hospital treatment.
Following phases 1.0 and 2.0, which focused on diagnosis and treatment assistance at medical institutions, Dr. Answer 3.0 is a project aimed at developing and demonstrating AI-based customized services for post-discharge patient prognosis management. It targets diseases requiring rehabilitation and continuous management, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, and is being developed to be directly used by patients or caregivers in daily life through smartphones and wearable devices.
The government plans to select one project through a public contest this year and provide approximately 2.2 billion won annually for four years. The selected consortium will concurrently carry out tasks such as securing medical data, service demonstration, and obtaining approvals and permits. It will also support the rapid market entry of AI medical devices in cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
ICT companies wishing to participate in the project must form a consortium with a mandatory participation from medical institutions and also include research institutes or universities. They must propose a prognosis management solution for at least three types of diseases.
Kyung-Man Kim, Director of AI-based Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “Thanks to AI technology, it will be possible to transition from hospital-centered treatment to patient-customized health management-focused medical services. We will continuously promote the development of innovative services that integrate the digital capabilities of domestic companies into the healthcare field and pursue policies that the public can feel the benefits of.”