Taichung: Thirteen hospitals in Taiwan have been recognized as some of the world's "best smart hospitals," with Taichung Veterans General Hospital achieving the highest rank among the Taiwanese facilities at 85th place. According to World's Best Smart Hospitals 2026, released by Newsweek and Statista, the rankings highlight the growing importance of technology in healthcare.
According to Focus Taiwan, the rankings were determined through an international online survey targeting healthcare professionals and hospital managers, alongside the Statista Smart Hospitals Maturity Survey and Joint Commission International accreditation. A total of 350 leading medical institutions from 30 countries were evaluated across 10 innovation areas, including artificial intelligence, telemedicine, robotics, patient safety technologies, and electronic functionalities.
This marks the second consecutive year Taichung Veterans General Hospital has made it into the top 100, improving from its previous rank of 99th. Among the other Taiwanese hospitals recognized are Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (116th), Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (120th), and National Cheng Kung University Hospital (140th), among others.
The survey identified Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital as a leader in "Patient Safety Technologies." Yu Chin-pang, CEO of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals group, highlighted the hospital's use of AI to enhance patient safety, such as preventing oversights in post-surgical procedures.
For the first time, all three hospitals under Taipei Medical University-Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University Shuang-Ho Hospital, and Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital-were included in the rankings. Wu Mai-szu, president of Taipei Medical University, credited the university's digital transformation efforts for this achievement. The university has developed TAIP-X, an AI-powered platform embedded within medical workflows to enhance hospital efficiency and patient services.