Wowjoy Technology Partners with the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University to Empower Traditional Chinese Medicine with Digital Wings

Recently,“Digital TCM ClinicCMSsystem” inThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital)Officially launched, this system was spearheaded in its research and development by Huazhuo Technology, combiningAIDeep Integration with Smart Hardware Within HospitalsHISWith Traditional Chinese MedicineEMR, dedicated to establishing high-quality data elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and realizing an integrated digital-intelligent TCM full-chain service encompassing five key areas: clinical practice, scientific research, new drug development, mentorship and teaching, and training of disease-specific large models.

In August this year, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Data Bureau jointly issued the "Several Opinions on Promoting the Development of Digital Traditional Chinese Medicine" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), proposing 20 specific measures. Over a period of three to five years, these measures aim to gradually integrate emerging digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, into all links of the entire chain of inheritance, innovation, and development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This initiative seeks to promote the sharing, circulation, and reuse of TCM data, initially achieving effective data connectivity across the entire TCM industry, whole industrial chain, and full processes. It strives to fully build "Digital-Intelligent TCM," provide TCM practices for the construction of Digital China, and offer strong support for the modernization of TCM.

As a national demonstration zone for the comprehensive reform of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Zhejiang Province has been at the forefront of digital and intelligent development in TCM. The “One-Stop Service for TCM Prescriptions” initiative has become a hallmark of Zhejiang’s digital and intelligent reforms in TCM. According to available information, since June 2022, Zhejiang Province has fully launched the “One-Stop Service for TCM Prescriptions” reform. Centered on TCM prescriptions, the province has taken the lead in establishing a digital standard system for TCM, iteratively upgrading digital innovation scenarios, expanding the reach of intelligent services, and promoting the realization of “intelligent medical practice, intelligent pharmaceuticals, intelligent research, and intelligent governance” in TCM.

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital) was established in 1960. In 2003, it was transferred as an intact entity to become a directly affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. It is now a national and provincial Grade A tertiary hospital integrating medical care, scientific research, teaching, and health management, specializing in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The hospital operates its main campus (Chaowang Campus) and a new campus (Shenhua Campus, under construction), with the main campus having an approved capacity of 1,200 beds. For several consecutive years, the hospital has been rated Grade A in the National Performance Appraisal of Tertiary Public Hospitals and ranks among the top ten hospitals integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine nationwide.

Upon entering the Digital Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinic at Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital, patients in the "Waiting Area" interact with an AI pre-consultation assistant. Through a question-and-answer dialogue, the system comprehensively collects the patient’s physical constitution and symptom data, which is then uploaded to the CMS. Meanwhile, health education robots are available to provide abundant popular science content on TCM healthcare and wellness.

Upon entering the "Pre-diagnosis Area," visitors are greeted by rows of intelligent devices, including Four Diagnostic Instruments that perform Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) assessments through inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse-taking, as well as thermal imaging cameras. Also present are Smart Health Kiosks that integrate measurements of basic indicators such as height, weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. Data from these devices are used to initially generate electronic TCM medical records, which are standardized in accordance with the "Zhejiang One-Prescription Initiative" reform and automatically synchronized to the CMS system, thereby achieving standardization of subjective symptoms and quantification of objective signs.

Upon entering the "Consultation Area," experts can directly import medical records via the CMS system. This not only enables rapid assessment of the current condition but also allows for tracing historical patient data and reconstructing tongue and pulse images collected during previous visits. With the support of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), this facilitates intelligent syndrome differentiation and assists in prescription formulation.

Even after patients leave the consultation room, the CMS automatically pushes health education materials to their WeChat or SMS channels based on pre-set plans and provides AI-powered follow-up care. The follow-up schedule and content are fully configurable, with patient outcomes promptly fed back into the electronic medical record (EMR) for return visits. This achieves truly integrated digital management of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), covering pre-consultation, intra-consultation, and post-consultation phases, as well as online and offline services.

At the 2024 On-Site Meeting for the Advancement of Digital Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Yu Yanhong, Party Secretary and Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Zhang Boli, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and National Medical Master; and representatives from health commissions across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government experienced the intelligent equipment and CMS system of the “Digital TCM Consultation Room” at Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital. They spoke highly of the hospital’s achievements in the development of digital TCM.

Guan Hao, Deputy Director of the Medical Affairs Department at Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital, stated that the digital and intelligent upgrading of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is imperative. In the future, the hospital will establish a set of standards for the construction of TCM digital consultation rooms and data collection based on the “TCM Digital Consultation Room CMS System.” This initiative aims to create a high-quality real-world study database, further explore the standardized application of TCM clinical research, and develop scenarios such as the digital reproduction of TCM experts’ experience. These efforts are dedicated to promoting the modernization of TCM and benefiting more healthcare professionals and patients.