Dr. Edmund Wu is an Associate Consultant in the Department of Medicine & Geriatrics at Princess Margaret Hospital and Honorary Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics at Chinese University of Hong Kong. He specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and serves on the councils of both the Hong Kong IBD Society and the Hong Kong Society of Gastroenterology.

 

Dr. Wu is an advocate for telehealth in gastrointestinal care. He leads the “IBD Smart Care” Telehealth program at Princess Margaret Hospital, which introduced the first electronic patient-reported outcome measure (e-PROM) into the HA Go mobile app. This innovation enables remote monitoring of IBD patients and optimizing clinical resources by prioritizing those who need timely intervention, while delivering flexible patient-centered care. Through his clinical service, Dr. Wu continues to promote the adoption of telehealth in Hong Kong, with the aim of improving the quality of care for patients.

 

Integration of e-PROM into HA Go App: “IBD Smart Care” Telehealth Program
"Telemedicine is transforming chronic disease management by enabling patient-centered care. In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) such as the Monitor-IBD-at-Home (MIAH) questionnaire facilitate remote disease monitoring and early detection of flares. The Hospital Authority (HA) of Hong Kong introduced its first electronic PROM (e-PROM) within the HA Go mobile app—an innovation marking a major step towards digital transformation in public healthcare.

 

Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) has pioneered the “IBD Smart Care” Telehealth program, integrating the MIAH questionnaire into routine care for patients with Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Through the HA Go app, patients regularly complete symptom assessments, with results automatically linked to the HA clinical management system (CMS). Clinically stable patients are able to defer follow-up visits, while those with abnormal responses are prioritized for timely review.

 

From 2024 to 2025, 42 patients (aged 20-71 years) were enrolled, with 78% in the 30-59 age groups. Monthly compliance with MIAH completion reached 100%. Follow-up visits were reduced in 29% of patients, with no IBD-related hospitalizations during the period. Over 93% of patients reported no difficulty using the HA Go app, e-PROM, or Telehealth follow-up; 81% preferred Telehealth follow-up, and 84% valued the flexibility to defer follow-up when clinically stable.

 

The “IBD Smart Care” initiative demonstrates that structured e-PROM-based Telehealth is feasible, safe, and highly acceptable to patients. It reduces outpatient burden while preserving quality of care and engagement. This model provides a scalable blueprint for expanding Telehealth and digital chronic disease management across the HA network."