Management of Technology Development Efforts to Enhance the Healthcare Establishment’s Infection Response Capabilities

Abstract

Objectives

We herein outline the planning process and core components of a project aimed at improving healthcare providers’ infection-response capabilities in the post-coronavirus disease 2019 endemic era, providing adaptable and field-ready technologies for diverse medical environments.

Methods

Project materials including planning documents, R&D plans, and prior studies were systematically reviewed to identify key directions, technological needs, and field requirements to strengthen medical institutions’ infection response systems.

Results

This project analyzes efforts to advance applied technologies and perform field validation of these technologies to support infectious disease specialty hospitals and long-term care facilities, focusing on improving infrastructure, systems, and equipment necessary to enhance preparedness for future infectious disease threats.

Conclusions

This initiative is expected to reinforce sustainable infection response system development across healthcare institutions by driving tailored technology development and real-world validation, with continuing refinement in response to policy shifts and frontline needs.

Key messages

① What is known previously?

The previous national project improved pandemic-level clinical safety and response capacity, but ended in 2024, leaving lingering needs for technologies applicable to endemic conditions to shore up vulnerable facilities.

② What new information is presented?

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Ministry of Health and Welfare launched a follow-up program in 2025 to enhance infection response capabilities in specialty hospitals and long-term care settings through field-focused technology development and operational improvement.

③ What are implications?

This project strengthens healthcare facility readiness by developing and validating tailored infection-control technologies, improving protections for high-risk groups, and reinforcing sustainable national infectious disease response capacities.

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a global pandemic. The recurrent emergence of epidemics and viral variants has precipitated a pronounced increase in demand for medical resources, underscoring the critical importance of infection control and safety assurance in clinical settings [1]. Recognizing this problem, the government implemented the “Development of Technologies for Enhancing Infectious Disease Medical Safety” from 2022 to 2024. This initiative has yielded substantial accomplishments, including automated disinfection equipment and an infection control decision-support system, through the development of technologies across various fields such as structures, equipment, systems, and manpower to prevent the spread of infections within hospitals [2]. However, the validation of these technologies was primarily performed in large hospitals; in addition, the short-term, intensive nature of technology development during the pandemic entailed limitations in versatility.

The World Health Organization lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2023, and the Korean government reclassified the virus as a Class 4 infectious disease in August 2024. This shift indicated a transition in national disease control policy from a pandemic-focused response to a routine management system [3,4]. Concurrently, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) unveiled the “Third Master Plan for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control,” a comprehensive strategy that encompasses demand-driven research and development in clinical settings, the establishment of a response system centered on specialized infectious disease hospitals, and the augmentation of protection for vulnerable groups susceptible to infection [5]. To achieve the policy goal of ensuring effective infection control in clinical settings, the KDCA planned the “Medical Field Infection Response Capability Enhancement Technology Development” project (Medical Field Infection Response Project) [6]. This report aims to present the progress and details of the project, thereby communicating the KDCA’s efforts to integrate technology and policy.

Methods

This report was prepared based on official government documents, including the Planning Report for the Medical Field Infection Response Project and the “2025 New Task Request for Proposal (RFP).” The “Planning Report” analyzed macro-level information, including the necessity of the project, internal and external environments, limitations of existing projects, and the project’s vision and goals. The “Task RFP” was used to ascertain micro-level technical development specifics, including the particulars of research content and performance objectives for each task, which were subsequently incorporated into this report. This literature review method was employed to systematically analyze and describe the current state of project management.

Results

1. Overview

The Medical Field Infection Response Project is a multi-agency joint research and development initiative led by the KDCA and supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). The KDCA oversees project management and budgetary matters, while the MOHW provides support for research and development as well as the utilization of outcomes. Consistent with the approach of preceding research endeavors, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute has been designated as the agency to sign a comprehensive agreement with the ministries, agencies, and project groups to manage the project team’s budget (contributions), including settlement and evaluation. The Inter-Ministerial Research and Develop (R&D) Project Team for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention is responsible for a number of practical tasks, including project execution management, commercialization support, and task discovery. A steering committee, comprising directors from the lead ministries, private-sector experts, and specialized institutions, is responsible for the review and coordination of major matters related to project operations. The Healthcare Infection Response Project was established with the vision of “implementing a sustainable infectious disease response healthcare system (peacetime–crisis)” and the goal of “customized application and optimization of infectious disease response technologies according to the characteristics of healthcare institutions.” The project has focused on developing optimized technologies tailored to the specific characteristics of medical institutions, ranging from large and medium-sized facilities to regional infection-vulnerable facilities, along with conducting demonstration studies, developing prototypes, and applying them in clinical settings. Beginning in 2025, the first 3 years of the project will focus intensively on applying the results of preceding initiatives to the field. Moreover, customized research reflecting the needs of the healthcare field was incorporated to ensure the realization of research and development aligned with such needs. The project’s strategic focus areas encompass structural improvements, system innovation, and the development of equipment technology. This structure will be used to introduce the content of the tasks pursued in 2025 (Table 1).

Table 1. Key initiatives (based on 2025 tasks).

Strategic area	Category	Outcomes of the “Project for Developing Technologies to Strengthen Infectious Disease and Healthcare Safety”	Priority candidate technologies for the “Project on Advancing Infection Response Capacity in Healthcare Settings”
Structure	Prevention of pathogen transmission and spread	Development of an AI-based cooperative infection control system	Development of technologies to prevent transmission and spread in healthcare settings and spaces, including air and water systems
		Development of a rapid-response modular negative-pressure ward	Development of optimization technologies for demonstrative, expandable, and mobile isolation (negative-pressure) facilities
		Development of technologies to strengthen infection control in emergency medical facilities	Development of infection-control simulation systems for verifying infection spread and prevention performance
Equipment	Control of infection risk factors	Development of an automated disinfection robot system	Development of automated equipment and systems for disinfection, cleaning, and management of infectious agents
		Development of an automated environmental disinfection system
		Development of an automated space sterilization and disinfection device for healthcare environments
		Development of a UV disinfection device suitable for healthcare environments
Systems	Information management systems for infectious patients, etc.	Development of a smart hospital bed-allocation system	Demonstration of an integrated information system for transfer, and bed allocation of infectious disease patients
		Development of a decision-support system for infectious disease response in healthcare settings

AI=artificial intelligence; UV=ultraviolet.

2. Key Tasks in 2025

1) Structure-Prevention of transmission and spread of infection sources

In terms of infrastructure, the development of facility-related technologies is underway to facilitate expeditious and adaptable patient management and response during periods of infectious disease crises.

While the previous project completed the design drawings and development of modular negative-pressure wards enabling rapid facility procurement during infectious disease pandemics, the initial phase of this project involves an analysis of the current state of care-tail technology and the design of a standard model. Subsequently, it is intended to refine the design and conduct an objective performance evaluation of the isolation facilities using a simulator adaptable to various conditions. The development of enhanced infection control technology for emergency medical procedures based on multi-infection control has led to the creation of a prototype of the Multimodal Infection Control Bed Isolation System (MICBIS), which can serve as a negative-pressure isolation room at the bed level. This project is conducting research to advance this system and establish a foundation for its commercialization. Currently, the design of the MICBIS module and the production of prototypes are underway. Moving forward, the plans include the development of automated control management protocols and manuals, followed by the installation and pilot application of the system in clinical settings. This will facilitate the execution of field validation assessments within clinical environments. The development and demonstration research of a big data-based smart epidemic prevention and control system is also being carried out. The initial phase will lay the groundwork for developing data-driven algorithms, followed by system implementation and support for commercialization through accredited validation studies. The project also plans to derive improvement strategies based on satisfaction surveys of healthcare providers and patients. Beginning in the subsequent year, the project intends to undertake post-use evaluations of isolation beds that were expanded during the pandemic. Furthermore, the project aims to develop technologies designed to prevent the spread of waterborne infectious diseases, an issue that has become increasingly prominent due to the unique characteristics of the healthcare environment.

2) Equipment-Control of infection risk factors

With regard to equipment, the emphasis is on establishing and validating standard methodologies to evaluate the performance of technologies developed for infection source removal and environmental management. The project aims to enhance the functionality and specifications of the prototype ultraviolet (UV) sterilization automated disinfection device developed through the preceding project, with the goal of commercialization. During the initial phase, the formulation of protocols for UV sterilization will be accorded a high degree of priority. In the subsequent phases, the project will undertake clinical field validation and plan for certification acquisition and clinical evaluation to expand into the market.

The development of technology employing hydrogen peroxide vapor spraying, a method of automated environmental disinfection, is also underway. Research is ongoing to enhance an automated space sterilization and disinfection device utilizing plasma technology developed through previous studies, including the development of Internet of Things (IoT) remote control technology to implement remote control and monitoring functions for user convenience and efficient management. In the initial phase, the project focuses on manufacturing prototypes by improving disinfection efficacy and developing IoT remote control technology. Starting next year, the research endeavor will transition toward the attainment of formal certification, clinical validation, and commercialization.

3) System-Infectious disease information management system

With respect to the system, the project comprises the development of a digital platform that facilitates decision-making for infectious disease response and ensures data connectivity through the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies. The primary objective of this research is to develop an AI-based system (IDHiNet) that assists in assigning patients to appropriate hospital beds by assessing and predicting the severity of patients with infectious diseases. At present, the project is concentrating its efforts on the design of the system and the procurement of fundamental data. Beginning in the forthcoming year, the objective is to establish a dataset of patients with sepsis and develop an AI algorithm for predicting severity, thereby enhancing prediction accuracy. Additionally, all participating hospitals will validate and enhance the utilization of the system and the performance of the predictive algorithm. Research is currently being conducted to establish and validate an integrated management system for linking information on patients with infectious diseases. The objective of this research is to establish a comprehensive platform that integrates standardized terminology and data structures for patient information on infectious diseases. This platform is designed to facilitate the development of AI-based prediction models and simulations for spread of infectious diseases. To date, big data-based algorithm design and test bed acquisition have been pursued, and plans are in place to propose advanced AI-control algorithms, system validation, and certification strategies in the future.

Discussion

The KDCA has been planning its research and development projects since 2024, prior to project commencement, in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including the National Research and Development Innovation Act and the Regulations on the Operation and Management of Health Medical Technology Research and Development Projects. A mid-to-long-term roadmap has been formulated, delineating annual investment directives and technical objectives for the 5-year period commencing in 2025. The identification and development of research needs into tasks is achieved by gathering input from field experts and relevant departments, thereby enabling systematic and efficient management of the entire R&D lifecycle. In addition, the KDCA has designated collaborative departments to address pivotal research concerns and is endeavoring to successfully accomplish its research objectives. Concurrently, regular seminars are being conducted to facilitate the exchange of information between researchers and governmental entities and to deliberate on support measures. Various efforts are being made to promote research achievements and enhance communication among researchers through research exchange meetings; solidify the cooperative framework between the project team, specialized institutions, and participating ministries; and enhance the practical field application of R&D outcomes.

The key research content of the Medical Field Infection Response Project was reviewed, presenting the target outcomes achievable from the project. This project is of particular importance in supporting technological development to establish a foundation for protecting public health through routine infectious disease management. While the “Development of Technologies for Enhancing Infectious Disease Medical Safety” concentrated its efforts on addressing large-scale patient surges during pandemics, the Medical Field Infection Response Project has pioneered a paradigm shift toward a system of advanced routine infectious disease management following crises. Notably, the involvement of the KDCA in this initiative has led to an expansion of the beneficiary scope, encompassing infectious disease specialty hospitals in addition to existing large hospitals, with the aim of mitigating disparities in infection response capabilities within the medical field and promoting balanced strengthening of the national disease control network. The Medical Field Infection Response Project is expected to contribute to the reinforcement of infectious disease response capabilities through the development and demonstration of field-tailored technologies based on scientific evidence. The KDCA will continue to provide policy support and pursue institutional improvements to ensure that planned research and development proceeds without disruption for the successful execution of projects and to facilitate the smooth dissemination and adoption of developed technologies within the medical field.