Description of an online hospital platform, China

Wu, Dan; Hesketh, Thérèse; Shu, Haihua; Lian, Wannian; Tang, Weiming; Jian-guo, Tian

doi:10.2471/blt.18.226936

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Guangdong was the pioneer in online health care services. The Guangdong government funded the first internet hospital in China [ 14 ]. Shandong has the most online physicians in a web-based medical consultation service in China, which suggests an open mind on the part of the physicians [ 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By 2019, there were only 2.77 licensed physicians per 1000 people [ 13 ]; for city residents, there were 4.10 licensed physicians per 1000 people, while that number was 1.96 for rural residents [ 13 ]. There are 3-tier health care systems in China [ 14 , 15 ]. Primary health care providers are usually community based and are expected to play the role of general practitioner and to perform health care management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of the types of initiators, internet hospitals in China can be divided into government-led, hospital-led, and enterprise-led services [ 8 ]. In 2012, the Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital built the first internet hospital in China, which belonged to the first type of internet hospital (ie, government-led) [ 14 ]. Compared with government-led and hospital-led internet hospitals, enterprise-led internet hospitals have the advantages of stronger capabilities in market exploration and faster product iterations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of Online Health Care Services From China’s Largest Online Medical Platform: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Jiang¹,

Xie²,

Tang³

et al. 2021

J Med Internet Res

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Background Internet hospitals in China are in great demand due to limited and unevenly distributed health care resources, lack of family doctors, increased burdens of chronic diseases, and rapid growth of the aged population. The COVID-19 epidemic catalyzed the expansion of online health care services. In recent years, internet hospitals have been rapidly developed. Ping An Good Doctor is the largest, national online medical entry point in China and is a widely used platform providing online health care services. Objective This study aims to give a comprehensive description of the characteristics of the online consultations and inquisitions in Ping An Good Doctor. The analyses tried to answer the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the consultations in Ping An Good Doctor in terms of department and disease profiles? (2) Who uses the online health services most frequently? and (3) How is the user experience of the online consultations of Ping An Good Doctor? Methods A total of 35.3 million consultations and inquisitions over the course of 1 year were analyzed with respect to the distributions of departments and diseases, user profiles, and consulting behaviors. Results The geographical distribution of the usage of Ping An Good Doctor showed that Shandong (18.4%), Yunnan (15.6%), Shaanxi (7.2%), and Guangdong (5.5%) were the provinces that used it the most; they accounted for 46.6% of the total consultations and inquisitions. In terms of department distribution, we found that gynecology and obstetrics (19.2%), dermatology (17.0%), and pediatrics (14.4%) were the top three departments in Ping An Good Doctor. The disease distribution analysis showed that, except for nondisease-specific consultations, acute upper respiratory infection (AURI) (4.1%), pregnancy (2.8%), and dermatitis (2.4%) were the most frequently consulted diseases. In terms of user profiles, females (60.4%) from 19 to 35 years of age were most likely to seek consultations online, in general. The user behavior analyses showed that the peak times of day for online consultations occurred at 10 AM, 3 PM, and 9 PM. Regarding user experience, 93.0% of users gave full marks following their consultations. For some disease-related health problems, such as AURI, dermatitis, and eczema, the feedback scores were above average. Conclusions The prevalence of internet hospitals, such as Ping An Good Doctor, illustrated the great demand for online health care services that can go beyond geographical limitations. Our analyses showed that nondisease-specific issues and moderate health problems were much more frequently consulted about than severe clinical conditions. This indicated that internet hospitals played the role of the family doctor, which helped to relieve the stress placed on offline hospitals and facilitated people’s lives. In addition, good user experiences, especially regarding disease-related inquisitions, suggested that online health services can help solve health problems. With support from the government and acceptance by the public, online health care services could develop at a fast pace and greatly benefit people’s daily lives.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of Online Health Care Services From China’s Largest Online Medical Platform: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Jiang¹,

Xie²,

Tang³

et al. 2021

J Med Internet Res

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“…29 As China upgrades its digital infrastructure, mobile technologies and diagnostic machines may enable access to urban providers or provide diagnostic and management support to rural doctors. 30…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Competence of Village Doctors in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Disease in Rural China: A Nationally Representative Assessment

Guo

Sylvia

Umble

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background While strengthening primary care quality is key to China’s health system reforms, evidence to guide this work has been limited, particularly for rural areas. This study provides the first nationally representative assessment of village doctors’ competence in diagnosing and managing presumptive heart disease. Methods A cross-sectional study of village clinics was conducted across five provinces. We presented standardized clinical vignettes to evaluate doctors’ competence in diagnosing and managing unstable angina. Enumerators accompanying mock patients documented the interaction, including questions, examinations, diagnoses, and management options provided by the doctor. We measured diagnostic process competence as degree of adherence to both “recommended” and “essential” questions and physical examinations stated in national clinical practice guidelines for patients stating typical symptoms of unstable angina. We assessed diagnostic competence according to whether doctors stated a correct or partially correct diagnosis. Finally, we assessed management as whether doctors provided correct or partially correct medication and/or referral. Management was assessed twice: following doctors’ own diagnoses determined through questioning and physical examinations, and after enumerators provided doctors with the correct diagnosis. Results Doctors completed 26% of recommended and 39% of essential diagnostic questions and examinations; 21% of doctors arrived at a correct diagnosis. Rates of correct management were 44% following doctors’ own diagnosis and 50% after being given the correct diagnosis. When we gave doctors the correct diagnosis and only asked them to provide a treatment, they prescribed 82% fewer potentially harmful medications than when they had provided their own (potentially incorrect) diagnosis. Conclusions The ability of village doctors to diagnose a textbook case of unstable angina is limited. Deficits in diagnostic competence led to low rates of correct management.

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“…Although many disorders could be treated by primary care providers conveniently and at a relatively low price, many patients are unwilling to see these providers owing to their lack of confidence in the health professionals’ skills and the quality of health care provided. They tend to go to high-level hospitals even for mild symptoms, effectively overcrowding those hospitals [ 3 ]. On the other hand, skilled doctors are unwilling to work at the community level and in remote rural areas for financial and professional reasons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Internet Hospital Plus Drug Delivery Platform for Health Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study

et al. 2020

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Background Widespread access to the internet has boosted the emergence of online hospitals. A new outpatient service called “internet hospital plus drug delivery” (IHDD) has been developed in China, but little is known about this platform. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics, acceptance, and initial impact of IHDD during the outbreak of COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in South China Methods The total number of and detailed information on online prescriptions during the first 2 months after work resumption were obtained. Patients’ gender, age, residence, associated prescription department, time of prescription, payment, and drug delivery region were included in the analysis. Results A total of 1380 prescriptions were picked up or delivered between March 2 and April 20, 2020. The largest group of patients were 36-59 years old (n=680, 49.3%), followed by the 18-35 years age category (n=573, 41.5%). In total, 39.4% (n=544) of the patients chose to get their medicine by self-pickup, while 60.6% (n=836) preferred to receive their medicine via drug delivery service. The top five online prescription departments were infectious diseases (n=572, 41.4%), nephrology (n=264, 19.1%), endocrinology (n=145, 10.5%), angiocardiopathy (n=107, 7.8%), and neurology (n=42, 3%). Of the 836 delivered prescriptions, 440 (52.6%) were sent to Guangdong Province (including 363 [43.4%] to Shenzhen), and 396 (47.4%) were sent to other provinces in China. Conclusions The IHDD platform is efficient and convenient for various types of patients during the COVID-19 crisis. Although offline visits are essential for patients with severe conditions, IHDD can help to relieve pressure on hospitals by reducing an influx of patients with mild symptoms. Further efforts need to be made to improve the quality and acceptance of IHDD, as well as to regulate and standardize the management of this novel service.

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Description of an online hospital platform, China

Cited by 17 publications

References 5 publications

Characteristics of Online Health Care Services From China’s Largest Online Medical Platform: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Characteristics of Online Health Care Services From China’s Largest Online Medical Platform: Cross-sectional Survey Study

The Competence of Village Doctors in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Disease in Rural China: A Nationally Representative Assessment

The Internet Hospital Plus Drug Delivery Platform for Health Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study

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