Medical Working Group  
Chair: Shuji Shimizu/Kyushu University Hospital, Japan [shimizu@surg1.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp]
Co-chair: Ho-Seong Han/ Seoul National Universitu Bundang Hospital, Korea [hanhs@snubh.org]

Mailing List: medical@apan.net
How to subscribe: http://master.apan.net/mailman/listinfo/medical
Website: http://www.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp/aqua/
Medical Teleconference application form: http://www.apan.net/wg/applicationform_to_aqua.htm
Member Institutions: Here

Introduction
No one argue against the fact that there has been very rapid development in communication and information technology (CIT) in the world. Medical fields, however, have not necessarily caught up with the engineering advancement. Because image quality is a key in telemedicine and moving images are so helpful both in clinics and medical education, broadband and high-speed network is essential for medical telecommunication.
We have established a medical network system with high-quality moving image on a super broad-banded Internet between Korea and Japan since February 2003. Teleconference or demonstration of live surgery using digital video transfer system (DVTS) was revolutionary in medical fields. Since our activity was known at various places, there have been strong demands to join our project from many countries. In order to promote our system to whole Asia-Pacific regions, it is mandatory for both medical and engineering people to get together and discuss how to cooperate.
Medicine is one of the most important subjects for human being, and it is quite natural to organize a medical working group in APAN. Our ultimate goal is to provide patients with better healthcare by exchanging our medical views and experiences using advanced CIT.

Objectives
1. To combine medical team and engineering team.
2. To expand our advanced telecommunication system in Asia-Pacific regions.
3. To improve the system with developing technology.
4. To let medical people take advantage of broadband Internet for exchanging their knowledge and techniques with high-quality moving images.
5. To obtain medical standardization and to provide patients with better healthcare.

Milestones/Actions:
-2007.01 Medical WG was extended to a new term
-2005.08 Medical WG setup proposal was formally approved.
- 2005.01 Formally started Medical BoF at Bangkok 2005 meeting, Thailand.
- 2004. 10. Participated and Demonstration of Telemedicine in APRU, Beijing, China
- 2004.07. Participated and Demonstration of Telemedicine in APAN, Cairns, Australia
- 2004.01. Participated and Demonstration of Telemedicine in APAN, Hawaii, USA
- 2003.08. Participated and Presentation in APAN, Busan, Korea

Meetings:
- Jan 2008 APAN/Hawaii USA
- Aug 2007 APAN/Xi'An China
- Jan 2007 APAN/Manila Day1 | Day2
- Jul 2006 APAN/Singapore
- Jan 2006 APAN/Tokyo
- Aug 2005 APAN/Taipei
- Jan 2005 APAN/Bankgkok
- July 2004 APAN/Cairns
- Jan 2004 APAN/Hawaii
- Aug 2003 APAN/Busan

Documents:
WG Charter V1.0 dated on Aug 25, 2005

Contact to Shuji Shimizu/Kyushu University [shimizu@surg1.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp]