A user shows the 791 Cloud Medical Treatment app

"Here is your medicine," said the delivery man, handing over two boxes of prescription drugs to Huang, a medical history-making chronic cardiovascular disease patient, identified only by her family name.    

It was a red-letter day for hi-tech medical services in China. December 12, 2015. The medicines, delivered to Huang in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in east China, were the first prescription by the country’s first Internet hospital, the Wuzhen Internet Hospital, based in Wuzhen, the town which hosted the Second World Internet Conference the same month.  

It was a moment of intense personal satisfaction for Huang as well, lifting a load of inconvenience from her frail shoulders. Though her illness had been brought under control two years ago, the doctors had told her she would need periodic examinations and have to take medicine regularly. The hospital where she had been going, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU), was far away and the trips were inconvenient.  

However, the situation changed dramatically on December 10. On that day, Wang Jianan, President of SAHZU and a renowned cardiovascular disease expert, studied Huang’s medical history, examined her and prescribed her medicines. All this was done without Huang having to set foot outside her home, through video conferencing and emailing, with the doctor sending her an e-prescription.  

The incident marked the launch of the Internet hospital, an online initiative to provide medical treatment nationwide. 

"With the number of cardiovascular disease patients increasing, there has to be a more convenient medical service for them," Wang told ChinAfrica. "Online diagnosis and treatment holds great significance for healthcare." 

The Internet hospitals, which are especially beneficial for patients with chronic diseases who need frequent checkups, are a major component of healthcare reform, providing more convenient, efficient and feasible services.   

A test case 

The Wuzhen Internet Hospital, established in the Wuzhen Comprehensive Experimental Zone for the Internet Innovation and Development, is supported by the local governments of Tongxiang City and Wuzhen Town in matters of policy. Technologically, it is assisted by the We Doctor Group, which operates an online platform for hospital appointment registration.  

The hospital connects doctors with patients nationwide through its app and website. After the patient has consulted the selected doctor via video chat, her or his medical record would be stored electronically in the hospital’s information system. The patient can choose a doctor from the comforts of home, receive treatment through remote consultation, and pay medical bills online.      

According to Zhang Guimin, Marketing Director General of the We Doctor Group, to ensure quality online diagnosis and treatment as well as patients’ safety, the new hospital is currently focusing on treating patients suffering from common ailments and chronic diseases.  

Zhang said the Internet hospitals can break down regional barriers and conquer distances. Patients, regardless of whether they live in big cities or remote mountainous areas, can equally enjoy the same high-quality medical service. 

A patient in Gansu Province consults an abdominal organ expert in Hangzhou through Wuzhen Internet Hospital's telemedicine system

Renqing, a child monk from a village in Tibet, was diagnosed with a severe bleeding disorder five years ago. He received a stem cell transplant at the No. 401 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army in Qingdao, Shandong Province, for which he had to journey a long way from the southwest to east China. After he left the hospital, the 11-year-old still needed treatment but it was a hardship to periodically go back to the hospital from the remote mountainous area where he lived.  

To address the problem, the We Doctor Group installed their telemedicine monitoring system in a local hospital in the neighborhood. Today, Renqing can directly chat with his doctor by video and receive instant treatment. 

This innovative Internet hospital prototype has received widespread attention since its inception. At the Lianghui, the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the apex political advisory body, in Beijing in March, the Wuzhen Internet Hospital was lauded by Guo Guangchang, a member of the CPPCC National Committee. During an economic panel discussion, Guo said the hospital’s example should be followed and suggested introducing online medical insurance.  

More players in the market 

Following the opening of the Wuzhen Internet Hospital, a similar venture was launched early this year. On January 18, Ali Health, a medical subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba, signed an agreement with the Central Hospital of Wuhan in Hubei Province to run online medical consultations. Patients can log onto tao.tmall.com to register and consult a doctor at the hospital in Hubei. Once they make payments online, the prescribed medicines will be delivered to them by Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics company. 

Ali Health is mainly targeting patients in rural areas. Rural residents can access the medical services of 13 departments of the Central Hospital via remote video chats. The hospital has arranged for associate chief physicians from the different departments to provide online services daily.  

Other hospitals too are beginning to offer online consultations. On February 17, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University set up an online diagnostic service. It provides online services 13 hours daily, seven days a week, by 124 specialists from popular outpatient clinics. Patients can receive treatment using their cellphones, iPads or computers. The medicines prescribed will be sent to them by express delivery.   

However, observers believe that despite the convenience for patients and opportunities for the fledgling industry itself, the Internet hospitals have to weather a few problems at the initial development period. Video diagnosis runs the risk of not being accurate all the time. Express delivery service adds to the costs of medical services and there is also the issue of protecting patients’ privacy.  

Wang Weilin, President of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, told People’s Daily: "At present, the Internet hospital is at a rudimentary stage. We have to stick with it in the face of difficulties."

Currently, the Chinese Government is promoting a hierarchical medical system. Premier Li Keqiang said in his Government Work Report it would be promoted in 70 percent cities this year. However, it is not an easy take. 

"It’s hard for people to judge by themselves if they are refractory patients who should go to large hospitals or if they are low-risk patients who can be treated in community-level hospitals," Wang said. "Luckily, the Internet hospitals can help patients assess their conditions easily, which would be helpful in promoting the hierarchical medical system in China."