Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) on Wednesday launched a 'health management platform, ' an online service that aims to provide users with an efficient way of taking care of their health. Modeled on the experience of the United States and Japan, the online service would first conduct health risks evaluations for users to screen high-risk groups for various kinds of diseases and make plans for them to improve their health, according to Andy Hong, project director and deputy chief of the ITRI Technology Center for Service Industries' health management section. With the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, users can keep records of the amount of calories they consume every day and how much energy is used through daily activity and exercise, Hong added. 'By incorporating innovative service model and advanced technology, the system will help raise public awareness on healthcare and bring added-value to the healthcare management industry, ' said Hong. The platform has been used by ITRI staff for nearly three years, said Hong, who added that one of his colleagues lost 7 kg in just six months by using this service. Hong said with the introduction of the platform, healthcare management clinics would be able to provide better services to their clients because it can connect them with other healthcare-related businesses, such as food supplement and sports gear companies. The ITRI will work with property management companies starting next year to introduce the service to private companies and communities so that it can serve a wider range of users, Hong said. The system was jointly developed by ITRI's Information and Communications Research Laboratories, Identification and Security Technology Center and ITRI South, as well as National Health Research Institutes, while Havo healthcare clinic is the private partner in the project, according to Hong. 