The Government welcomed the establishment of the Institute for Medical Advancement & Clinical Excellence (IMACE) today, which brings together different areas of expertise from Hong Kong's healthcare sector to serve as a platform for the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines and explore the feasibility of devising service quality and efficiency standards for public and private healthcare services.

The seven founding members of the institute attended its inaugural meeting today, including the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM), Department of Health, Hospital Authority, Primary Healthcare Commission, Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong and the Private Hospitals Association.

At the invitation of the Health Bureau, the HKAM has nominated its past president Prof Gilberto Leung as the institute's first Convener. The academy will also provide secretarial support to assist the institute in commencing its work.

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said the establishment of the institute marks a milestone in the development of Hong Kong's healthcare system, noting that it will serve as a professional platform underpinned by evidence-based medicine that brings together the expertise of healthcare professionals and the wealth of clinical data from the public and private sectors, enabling the exploration of more effective medical options and ultimately benefitting the patients.

"In view of the rapid advancement in medical technology, I hope the IMACE can promote exchanges among healthcare professionals and maintain connections with institutions responsible for developing evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines worldwide. This will enable our healthcare professionals to learn about and apply the latest technologies, further promoting Hong Kong's development into an international health and medical innovation hub."

With members spanning across the public and private healthcare sectors, the institute will enable the sectors to collect data and cases in an effective manner for detailed deliberations on clinical practices in screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of various diseases as well as evaluating the efficacy of various medical options, the Health Bureau said.

Upon comprehensive deliberations, the institute will devise and promulgate clinical guidelines as well as service quality and efficiency standards, it added.

Apart from providing a reference for healthcare professionals to enhance healthcare standards, the relevant clinical guidelines and standards can serve as public education tools to facilitate citizens' understanding of the healthcare services they may need in the event of different illnesses.

Additionally, the institute can make recommendations to the Government on implementing policy initiatives to drive clinical excellence and improve practice quality.

In accordance with the principle of professional autonomy, the bureau invited the founding members to establish the institute and committed to providing financial support to take forward its work, but will not be involved in its governance, research or discussions.

The institute may set up working groups as necessary and invite other professional members and co-opted members to participate, thereby facilitating more holistic deliberations.