On the morning of July 17, 2025, the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University hosted the 6th session of the "Peking University Global Health High-Level Dialogue" at the office area of Peking University Science Park, inviting Professor Janelle Yorke, Dean of the School of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and her delegation to visit for academic exchanges. Professor Yorke delivered a keynote speech entitled "Applications and challenges of artificial intelligence in long-term care" and was subsequently appointed as a Senior Visiting Professor of the PKU Institute for Global Health. Experts, scholars, teachers and students from multiple universities, hospitals and research institutions including Peking University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, participated in this event. 

Event site

This event was hosted by Professor Huang Cheng, Assistant Dean of the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University. Professor Gordon G. Liu, Dean of the Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University and Member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, delivered a welcome speech. Dean Gordon G. Liu pointed out that against the backdrop of the global aging society and the rise of artificial intelligence, the transformation and upgrading of long-term care have become an important force serving modern society. Professor Janelle Yorke's academic lecture on the integrated development of artificial intelligence and long-term care is timely and of far-reaching academic and policy significance.

Professor Gordon G. Liu delivering a welcome speech

At the appointment ceremony, Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, Distinguished Senior Research Professor of Institute for Global Health and Development of Peking University, introduced Professor Yorke's career in detail. He noted that Professor Yorke has achieved remarkable accomplishments with her profound clinical insight and outstanding research literacy. As an initiator advocating the development of patient-reported outcome measures, her research results have been widely applied in fields such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. In recent years, Professor Yorke has actively explored the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in care, promoting the integration of technology and empathy through a new generation of digital tools to help build a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare system. PKU Institute for Global Health formally appointed Professor Janelle Yorke as a Senior Visiting Professor, and both parties will continue to deepen cooperation in the future to jointly promote the development of global health and care undertakings.

Professor Bernhard Schwartländer introducing Professor Yorke

Professor Huang Cheng presented the letter of appointment as Visiting Professor of the Peking University Institute for Global Health Development to Professor Janelle Yorke and took a group photo.

Professor Huang Cheng presenting the appointment letter to Professor Janelle Yorke

In her keynote speech, Professor Janelle Yorke shared her cutting-edge experience in the international care field. She pointed out that approximately one-third of adults worldwide suffer from chronic diseases, and nursing staff undertake 80% of chronic disease management tasks. However, there is a serious shortage of care human resources currently. The application of digital technology and artificial intelligence provides new solutions to address challenges such as patient data management, timely follow-up interventions and insufficient care staff, helping to improve efficiency and achieve more rational resource allocation. She also showcased application cases of the electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (ePROMs) system, covering symptom management such as shortness of breath, anxiety/depression, diet and dysphagia. Professor Yorke elaborated on the symptom scores generated based on ePROMs and their adjustment analysis, and demonstrated the system's potential in predicting the risk of treatment discontinuation, providing strong support for clinical decision-making. Finally, she also put forward the challenges faced by artificial intelligence in care practice and discussed corresponding coping strategies and future development directions.

Professor Janelle Yorke delivering the keynote speech

In the discussion session, experts including Professor Liu Tingfang, Senior Researcher of PKU Institute for Global Health and Director of the Department of Medical Management and Evaluation Research at the PKU China Center for Health Economic Research; Professor Sean Sylvia from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Ms. Hu Linlin from the School of Health Policy and Management, Peking Union Medical College; and Director Wang Lin from the Nursing Department of the Fourth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as the current status of chronic disease management and medical staff at home and abroad, the collection and integration of training data for the ePROMs system, and the application and future development of artificial intelligence robots in clinical practice.

Expert discussion

Professor Huang Cheng, Professor Liu Tingfang, Professor Janelle Yorke and her team exchanged gifts and took a group photo

Finally, Professor Liu Tingfang expressed sincere thanks to Professor Janelle Yorke and her team for their visit. He stated that in the future, both parties will work together to continuously deepen cooperation in multiple dimensions such as teaching, research and clinical practice, striving to achieve more fruitful results in promoting the development of care undertakings and improving the quality of health services.

(Text by Wang Renhe; Photos by Zheng Yubo, Wang Hongzhe, Wang Renhe)