Medtronic and WeDoctor Launch Online Chronic Disease Consultation to Divert Patients and Alleviate Burden on Healthcare Institutions During Pandemic

Original Title: Medtronic and WeDoctor Jointly Launch Free Chronic Disease Clinics to Divert Patients and Alleviate the Burden on Healthcare Institutions Amid the Pandemic Source: Internet

Micro Medical Group Launches Free Clinic for Chronic Diseases: Diverting Patients and Alleviating the Burden on Healthcare Institutions Amid the Pandemic Source: Internet

Despite the improving data, the critical phase of China’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet passed, with many doctors still battling on the front lines. To ensure basic medical care for patients with chronic diseases, Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, has partnered with the digital health platform WeDoctor to launch a series of online free clinic activities, focusing on follow-up consultations for chronic conditions.

Chronic disease management is closely linked to long-term complications, and patients with chronic conditions should continue to prioritize their personal health during special periods. To alleviate the outpatient burden on healthcare institutions and reduce the risk of cross-infection associated with frequent hospital visits during epidemic prevention and control, Medtronic has partnered with the digital health platform Weiyi (Micro Medical Group) to provide professional consultations on disease education, medication adjustment, and self-management for patients requiring long-term health management in specialties such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, obesity, and pain. This initiative also helps identify patients who truly require inpatient treatment, thereby facilitating the efficient allocation of medical resources during these critical times.

Under the advocacy and organization of Medtronic and WeDoctor, more than 200 specialists from major hospitals across China have joined the online free clinic initiative, covering five disease areas: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic and cancer-related pain.

Cardiovascular Disease

Nearly 30 cardiology experts participating in this free clinic, hailing from 11 provinces and municipalities across China, have focused on common cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, and hypertension, providing consultations to hundreds of patients nationwide. Patients not requiring emergency surgery can receive follow-up visits and obtain management plans without leaving home, experiencing contactless telemedicine services. For patients requiring hospitalization, physicians offer professional consultation to guide them in selecting an appropriate time for in-person visits under proper protective measures.

Diabetes

In addition to the more common forms of diabetes, many of the physicians participating in this free clinic were specialists in type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes predominantly affects children and adolescents, follows a more protracted course than type 2 diabetes, and demands more precise blood glucose management.

Obesity

Many unhealthy lifestyle habits, along with factors such as diabetes, can lead to overweight and even obesity. Compared with traditional pharmacological treatments, surgical intervention has emerged in recent years as a more scientific and effective approach for managing obesity and its associated comorbidities. During this free clinic event, dozens of experts in bariatric and metabolic surgery will help patients with obesity identify weight-loss options tailored to their specific symptoms and underlying causes.

Parkinson's Disease

Dozens of top neurologists and neurosurgeons with expertise in Parkinson’s disease from across China have joined this free clinic initiative, providing warm-hearted services to Parkinson’s patients at no cost during this special period. Notably, experts from Wuhan have also joined the volunteer medical team, helping patients overcome challenges and fight the disease.

Chronic and Cancer Pain

Another highlight of this free clinic was the classification of pain as a distinct chronic disease, featuring an all-star lineup of over 100 leading experts in pain management and neurosurgery from across China, who jointly provided professional consultations and assistance to patients suffering from pain associated with conditions such as herpes zoster, diabetic foot, and cancer.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medtronic and WeDoctor have leveraged their respective expertise to contribute unique charitable efforts in supporting frontline epidemic control and alleviating the immense pressure on healthcare systems.

To date, Medtronic has donated supplies and cash totaling USD 1.5 million to healthcare institutions and public welfare organizations in China in response to the current epidemic. These donations include company products such as ventilators and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems specifically designated for Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, as well as a total of 1.5 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to healthcare institutions in Wuhan, Shanghai, Changzhou, and Chengdu.

In the face of the rampant epidemic, WeDoctor mobilized its elite forces to open up an “airborne battlefield” in the fight against the outbreak, providing emergency support to Wuhan, serving the entire nation, and aiding the global community.

Since January 23, the “Real-Time COVID-19 Assistance Platform” has been launched on WeDoctor’s Internet General Hospital, providing free online consultations, remote multidisciplinary consultations for complex cases, reporting of suspected cases, psychological counseling and support, public education on epidemic prevention, and medical supply allocation services to people across China. To date, the dedicated section has accumulated over 126 million visits, with 49,634 doctors nationwide delivering a total of 1.627 million free consultation services, effectively alleviating the pressure on designated offline medical institutions in their pandemic response efforts.

To reduce the risk of cross-infection for other patients during offline medical visits, Weiyi has successively launched the “Convenient Outpatient Clinic” service in Tianjin, Tai’an, Wuhan, and other cities since February, providing online follow-up consultations for chronic diseases and medication delivery services supported by medical insurance. This initiative has not only attracted attention from media outlets such as CCTV and Xinhua News Agency but also received affirmation at the national level.

Amid the increasingly severe overseas epidemic situation, WeDoctor launched its Global Anti-Epidemic Platform on March 14, providing real-time assistance services such as online consultations and public health education on epidemic prevention to over 60 million Chinese nationals residing abroad and hundreds of millions of international friends. To date, the platform has received official endorsements from nearly 100 Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.

Source: Internet