Inauguration of the Establishment of the Institute for Medical Advancement and Clinical Excellence (8 May 2025)
- IMACE
- May 8
- 3 min read
Updated: May 9
(Hong Kong – 8 May 2025) Subsequent to the Government’s initiative to establish the Institute for Medical Advancement and Clinical Excellence (IMACE), the inaugural meeting was held on 8 May 2025. The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr. Thomas Chan, and Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Libby Lee attended the opening of the inaugural meeting.
At the meeting, the Governing Board of IMACE, comprising the Convenor and the seven Founding Members, confirmed the governance structure and laid down work plans for the initial phase including the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines and protocols, as well as strategies for public education.
Professor Lo expressed that, presently, there is no official system for setting common clinical standards and guidelines across the public and private healthcare service sectors. The type and quality of healthcare services received by citizens when they seek consultations hinges on the expertise and experience of individual medical practitioners. With an ageing population in Hong Kong and rapidly emerging innovations in medical technology, the demand for healthcare services will be ever-growing and more complex. If the healthcare sector can enhance expert consensus, it will help improve the quality of care to benefit patients. In view of this, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Government would establish a professional platform for developing evidence-based clinical guidelines and protocols and explore the feasibility of devising service quality and efficiency standards for the public and private healthcare sectors, with a view to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of medical services.
The IMACE is an independent and professional-led platform comprising members from both the public and private healthcare sectors in Hong Kong. The seven Founding Members of the IMACE include the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (“HKAM”), the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority, the Primary Healthcare Commission, the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Private Hospitals Association. The HKAM has nominated its past President, Professor Gilberto Ka-kit Leung, to serve as the IMACE’s first Convenor and will provide secretarial support to the IMACE’s initial operation.
At the inaugural meeting, Professor Gilberto Ka-kit Leung introduced an operation framework for the development and dissemination of Clinical Practice Guidelines. The development process will involve referencing clinical guidelines already published by both local and overseas professional organizations that are applicable to the local context, while also giving consideration to proposed topic areas and drafts of unpublished clinical guidelines submitted by external parties.
During the initial phase, The IMACE shall focus on clinical practices in screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of various diseases, as well as evaluating the efficacy of various medical options (e.g. drugs, medical devices, diagnostic techniques, surgical procedures, non-pharmacological interventions, new medical innovations). Founding Members are committed to taking full advantages of this professional platform to share practical clinical experience, develop and promulgate clinical guidelines applicable to both the public and private healthcare sectors, assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of medical options, and devising service quality and efficiency standards. The process will foster professional exchange among healthcare personnel, facilitate their understanding and use of the latest technologies in their daily practice, and further promote the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. In parallel, public education on the fundamental principles of evidence-based medical practice will be strengthened to ensure informed and effective doctor-patient communication.
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