China to promote Internet-powered healthcare

By:Xinhua
update:April 13,2018

April 13, 2018 -- China will greenlight medical institutions to conduct Internet medical services as part of a broader push to promote Internet Plus healthcare.

Medical institutions will be allowed to provide online diagnostic services for some common and chronic diseases in patients' follow-up visits to their doctors, according to a statement released after a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang Thursday.

The top two levels of hospitals within the country's three-tier hospital system are encouraged to provide online services including consultation reservation and test result inquiry.

"The development of Internet Plus Healthcare is a major initiative to enhance our country's public health services. It will also help facilitate overall economic and social development," Li said.

"As China joins the ranks of middle-income countries, the demand for health services has increased substantially. The Internet Plus Healthcare can help alleviate the problem of inaccessible and expensive public health services that have long been a big concern for the general public," he said.

According to the Healthy China 2030 Blueprint released in October 2016, efforts will be made to foster new industries, new forms and models of business in the health sector and to develop Internet-based health services.

The intelligent review for health insurance will be vigorously applied and the one-stop settlement will be brought forward. The real-time sharing of prescription and drug retail sales within medical institutions will be explored. The system of Internet Plus healthcare standards will be further refined, according to the statement.

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