Sinopharm Healthcare: AI and Digital-Intelligent Robots Accelerate the Rapid Development of Rehabilitation Industry

At the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which concluded last week, top global scholars and industry leaders gathered in Shanghai. They focused on the AI-generated journey from innovation and creation to imagination, showcasing a vivid picture of high-quality development driven by AI and a modern industrial system facilitated by AI. Notably, the biopharmaceutical, medical equipment, and intelligent equipment sectors stood out prominently. Numerous domestic and international manufacturers unveiled various humanoid robots and smart devices, bringing significant benefits to the elderly and rehabilitation patients.

Rehabilitation medical devices are essential equipment in rehabilitation medicine, playing a significant role in both rehabilitation and modern healthcare. They are primarily used for assessment, training, and treatment, helping patients accelerate the recovery of physical functions, reduce recurrence rates, and minimize complications. According to the Seventh National Population Census, China currently has 264 million elderly people, over 50% of whom require rehabilitation services. The total number of people with disabilities in China exceeds 85 million, half of whom need rehabilitation services. Among the nearly 300 million patients with chronic diseases, 80% also require rehabilitation treatment.

Rehabilitation medicine, together with preventive medicine, health care medicine, and clinical medicine, is collectively referred to as the “Four Major Branches of Medicine.” It is a medical discipline dedicated to eliminating and alleviating functional impairments, compensating for and reconstructing functional deficits, and striving to improve and enhance various aspects of human function. In essence, it encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, assessment, treatment, training, and management of functional disabilities. The primary recipients of rehabilitation medical services are the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and patients with chronic diseases.

Based on patients' rehabilitation needs, rehabilitative medical services can be provided at various levels and in different types of institutions. Rehabilitation medical institutions can be broadly categorized into rehabilitation departments (within general hospitals), rehabilitation hospitals (specialized rehabilitation hospitals), outpatient rehabilitation clinics (rehabilitation clinics), rehabilitation sanatoriums, quasi-rehabilitation medical institutions (such as long-term care facilities and nursing homes for the sick and disabled), and community-based rehabilitation areas.

As a healthcare group dedicated to providing continuous rehabilitation therapy, professional nursing, and daily care services for patients recovering from surgery or suffering from functional degeneration and disorders, Kokoon Medical has engaged in in-depth exploration and practice since entering the industry in 2013. By 2023, it had established specialized rehabilitation hospitals and wellness-care nursing institutions in key cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Nanchang, Wuhan, Yangzhou, and Wuxi, delivering professional rehabilitation, nursing, and elderly care services to seniors and a broad population of patients requiring rehabilitation. Its services encompass the latest modern rehabilitation technologies, including physical therapy, speech therapy, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine treatments. In terms of applying new technologies and intelligent products, VR (virtual reality), exoskeleton robots, intelligent robots, and smart wearable devices are widely utilized in the rehabilitation treatment processes across its affiliated institutions. Guided by the "Healthy China" initiative, Kokoon Medical will continue to benchmark against leading domestic and international rehabilitation healthcare groups, providing superior treatment and comprehensive services to patients with rehabilitation needs.

Wei Yulin, Executive Director and CEO of Shenzhen Kokoon Medical Co., Ltd., stated that with rapid economic development, population aging has led to an increase in the elderly and chronic disease rehabilitation populations. Meanwhile, rising income levels have strengthened the diversification trend on the demand side of rehabilitation medical services. High-net-worth individuals face significant work-related stress, causing rehabilitation medical services to gradually extend from in-hospital disease treatment to sub-health management and chronic disease management. The growing demand for high-end rehabilitation services will further accelerate the rapid development of China’s rehabilitation industry.