National Home Healthcare Security Platform Launches Chronic Disease COVID-19 Clinic and Rational Medication Clinic

On January 6, the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Infection (Trial Version 10)," further reinforcing the concept of co-managing COVID-19 and underlying conditions. The protocol emphasizes providing appropriate treatment for underlying diseases to promote patients' comprehensive recovery. Meanwhile, with the Spring Festival approaching, increased population mobility has intensified the pressure on epidemic prevention and control as well as medical treatment services in rural areas.

To further safeguard the needs for home-based medical care and medication during the pandemic, and to alleviate the treatment burden on offline medical institutions, the "National Home Healthcare Security Platform" has recently launched outpatient clinics for chronic disease management in COVID-19 patients and for rational medication use. These new services, together with the previously launched Western medicine COVID-19 outpatient clinic, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) COVID-19 outpatient clinic, and integrated Western and Chinese medicine fever clinic, form a comprehensive online service loop for home healthcare security in the fight against the epidemic. This integrated approach aims to meet diverse needs, including those of general COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 patients with underlying conditions, patients seeking TCM treatments, and individuals requiring guidance on medication for their home medicine reserves.

Users can access "Home Healthcare Security" via the "Medical Services" menu in the "WeDoctor" WeChat Official Account, or log in to the "WeDoctor App" to select related services such as Chronic Disease & COVID-19 Outpatient Care and Rational Medication Use Clinic.

“National Home-Based Medical Care Platform” Chronic Disease & COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic provides comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and health management services—including condition consultation, medication guidance, prescription of specific antiviral drugs, and rehabilitation advice—for elderly patients with underlying conditions and other vulnerable populations during COVID-19 infection. Patients can choose between per-visit consultations or long-term care (private physician) based on their individual needs; both options support online text-and-image consultations as well as telephone consultations. Through this clinic, patients with chronic diseases and COVID-19 can conveniently complete the entire process in one stop: consultation, prescription issuance, online payment, and home delivery of medications.

During the pandemic, elderly individuals and those with chronic diseases have been key groups of concern. The "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Infection (Trial Version 10)" adjusted the age threshold for populations at high risk of severe illness from 60 to 65 years. In addition to patients with underlying conditions such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension, as well as cancer patients, the protocol now includes individuals undergoing long-term dialysis. These groups are also prone to severe illness and face an elevated risk of death during peak periods of the outbreak.

The Chronic Disease and COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic is specifically designed for COVID-19 patients with hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and other underlying conditions. It features specialized consultation channels categorized by underlying diseases and assigns physicians with relevant specialty backgrounds to ensure the rational and safe use of medications for both chronic conditions and COVID-19. To provide higher-quality and more efficient services to this patient population, the clinic has curated an exclusive pool of nearly 2,000 physicians from tertiary hospitals across China. These physicians are selected based on their high service volume, excellent service quality, and recent activity on the National Home Healthcare Security Platform, with an average of over 10 years of clinical experience.

Amid the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the general public has widely opted for online medical consultations, medication purchases, and health inquiries to avoid cross-infection. During home-based medication use, adjustments to treatment regimens require guidance from professional physicians and pharmacists as conditions evolve. Special attention to medication safety is particularly crucial for vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant and postpartum women, and the elderly. On its launch day, the “National Home Healthcare Security Platform”’s Rational Medication Outpatient Clinic received over 200 online medication consultation requests.

The Rational Medication Use Clinic is staffed by senior pharmacists and above with extensive clinical experience. It provides professional guidance on dosage, administration, contraindications, precautions, and drug interactions for home medication use among patients with COVID-19. Additionally, it offers rational medication use guidance for the treatment of various common and chronic diseases.

A reporter’s experience revealed that the Rational Medication Use Clinic primarily targets patients who already have common medications at home and require guidance on their use. Patients with common or chronic conditions can consult the clinic to learn about drug interactions between treatments for post-COVID-19 conditions and COVID-19-specific medications, as well as potential adverse reactions, precautions, and safe medication practices. The clinic charges a fee of just RMB 9.9 per consultation, making it highly suitable for patients seeking advice on how to properly take their medications.

The “National Home-Based Medical Care Platform” was initiated by the Internet Medicine Branch of the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, and jointly established by WeDoctor and the Sanming Procurement Alliance in collaboration with healthcare institutions and physicians across China. It provides services such as an “COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic” via internet hospitals, follow-up consultations and medication purchases for chronic diseases, home health care kits, online psychological support, and remote consultations for individuals with COVID-19 who meet the criteria for home treatment, as well as patients requiring follow-up care for chronic conditions.

The platform has launched China’s first online fever clinic integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, significantly alleviating overcrowding at offline medical institutions’ fever clinics across the country. The platform continuously upgrades its service safeguards by adding various consultation options, such as expert consultations and rapid consultations, and has established specialized sections including a TCM COVID-19 clinic and a psychological relief zone. In terms of medication supply, it has opened a consultation and prescription channel for Azvudine, the first domestically produced oral anti-COVID-19 drug, and has also introduced the “COVID-19 Formula No. 1 and No. 2,” TCM standardized prescriptions jointly developed by renowned experts, as well as recovery formulas for patients in the early stages of convalescence. Currently, the “National Home Healthcare Security Platform” has 280,000 doctors providing online consultation services, including over 6,000 TCM practitioners, comprehensively addressing home-based medical and pharmaceutical needs through both TCM and Western medicine.