Prof. Dr. dr. Dita Aditianingsih, Sp.An-TI., Subsp.T.I.(K), together with Prof. Dr. dr. Anna Rozaliyani, M.Biomed, Sp.P(K) and Prof. Dra. Beti Ernawati Dewi Ph.D, were inaugurated as Permanent Professors of the Faculty of Medicine (FK) of Universitas Indonesia (UI). The inauguration, led by the Chairperson of the UI Board of Professors, Prof. Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, S.H., M.A., Ph.D, was held on Saturday, December 14, at the IMERI Hall of FKUI Salemba, Jakarta.
Prof. Dita was announced as the 43rd professor inaugurated this year out of a total of 468 professors. She is a Professor in the Field of Critical Care. In her scientific oration titled “Kedokteran Critical Care di Era Kedokteran Presisi: Menyeimbangkan Kemajuan Teknologi dan Keterbatasan Sumber Daya” (Critical Care Medicine in the Era of Precision Medicine: Balancing Technological Advances and Resource Limitations), she reviewed the various challenges faced by Intensive Care Units (ICU) and the steps taken so that the quality and access to ICU services in Indonesia approach the service standards of developed countries and become a model for ICU development in the Southeast Asian region.
The ICU is an important part of the hospital that provides intensive care for critical patients. The ICU is designed with medical and paramedical staff with special expertise in Critical Care Medicine, and is equipped with sophisticated technology to ensure appropriate and efficient care. Although it has developed, the ICU in Indonesia still faces major challenges, including the limited number of facilities, uneven distribution, and lack of specialist medical personnel.
“Indonesia only has around 1,910 ICU beds in 2020, or 2.7 beds per 100,000 population, far below other Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Singapore. This limitation is exacerbated by the low ratio of anesthesiologists and intensivists, only 4,134 anesthesiologists and 350 intensivists for a population of more than 264 million people,” said Prof. Dita.
According to her, this shortage causes a gap in access to critical care, especially in remote areas, so that many patients do not receive timely treatment. Therefore, the development of ICU in Indonesia requires a strategic approach to improve infrastructure, distribution, and training of medical personnel. The main focus can be to increase accessibility in remote areas through technology and intensive training programs, as well as collecting accurate data on the number and distribution of ICU facilities.
In addition, Prof. Dita recommends the implementation of precision medicine in the ICU because it can increase the effectiveness of treatment. This approach is based on the patient’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle, and utilizes cutting-edge technology, such as DNA sequencing, biomarker analysis, and multigenomic profiles. However, the implementation of precision medicine in the ICU requires laboratory infrastructure, bioinformatics tools, and qualified experts.
Precision medicine can be adapted with simple approaches such as basic biomarker testing or portable technologies such as point-of-care testing (POCT) for rapid detection of infections and other critical conditions. The use of electronic health records (EHR) and machine learning algorithms can improve data-driven decision-making at a lower cost. In addition, collaboration with academic institutions and international organizations can help provide training and resources to support implementation.
Prof. Dita assessed that the implementation of precision medicine in the ICU environment with limited resources requires a realistic and cost-effective approach. A gradual strategy, such as focusing on infection management, sepsis, predictive modeling, and machine learning can have a significant impact without burdening infrastructure. In addition, the humanization of ICU services remains a priority by involving families, religious leaders, and counselors to support patient recovery holistically.
“Precision medicine in the ICU is both a challenge and an opportunity. This approach offers targeted treatment, but requires large resources and time. Therefore, telemedicine helps overcome this obstacle by enabling rapid analysis of patient data and supporting clinical decisions without relying on a large number of specialist human resources. Through cost-effective and high-impact strategies, precision medicine can improve the quality of ICU care in Indonesia, even in conditions of limited resources,” said Prof. Dita.
In addition to researching the topic of the application of precision medicine in the ICU, Prof. Dita also conducted similar studies. Some of them are Internal Jugular Distensibility Index as A Predictor of Fluid Responsiveness in Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery–A Prospective Accuracy Study (2024), Prone Versus Supine Position in Intubated Covid-19 Patients with ARDS: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2023), and Effectiveness and Safety Profile of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome as a Treatment for Severe Cases of Covid-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2022).
Before obtaining her professorship, Prof. Dita completed her education at FKUI for the General Medicine Program in 1998, the Anesthesiology Specialist Program in 2006, the Intensive Therapy Subspecialist Program in 2011, and the Doctor of Medical Science Program in 2019. Currently, she serves as the Secretary of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy Subspecialist Study Program FKUI and Head of the Intensive Care and Burns Installation of Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.
