JD Health Establishes Internet Healthcare Expert Committee to Advance Industry Standardization and Professionalization

Internet healthcare platforms have become a vital channel for the public to seek medical care and purchase medications. On December 8, to better promote high-quality development in the internet healthcare industry, advance innovative research and the translation of scientific achievements in specialized internet healthcare fields, and enhance service capabilities, JD Health took the lead in establishing the “Internet Healthcare Expert Committee” (hereinafter referred to as the “Expert Committee”). The committee’s inaugural members include academic leaders from JD Health’s 27 specialized centers, along with more than 30 chief and associate chief physicians from numerous Grade A tertiary hospitals across China.

(JD Health Internet Medical Expert Committee)

As we enter the digital era, the rapid development of internet-based healthcare has enabled patients to access follow-up consultations and purchase medications without leaving home, further alleviating the difficulty of seeking medical care. Widespread user acceptance has brought new challenges and opportunities to the internet healthcare services industry.

Recently, the "Detailed Rules for the Supervision of Internet-based Diagnosis and Treatment (Draft for Comment)," drafted by the National Health Commission, was officially released. It sets forth detailed regulations addressing issues such as AI-driven consultation and prescription practices, as well as falsification of physicians’ practice information, thereby imposing higher requirements on the development of internet healthcare enterprises. Under the framework of these Detailed Rules, relevant companies are required not only to possess mature technical capabilities and extensive operational experience but also to establish standardized processes and mechanisms.

As one of the first independently established internet hospitals in China to obtain an internet hospital license, JD Health Internet Hospital had attracted more than 130,000 doctors by June 30, 2021, with an average daily volume of over 160,000 online consultations in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, JD Health has continuously explored innovative integration of specialized disease management and internet medical services, promoting integrated development of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in specialized fields. It has currently established 27 specialized centers, including the Heart Center, Otolaryngology Center, Traditional Chinese Medicine Center, Respiratory Center, and Mental Health and Psychology Center. JD Health has initially achieved coverage across the entire pharmaceutical industry chain, the full medical care process, all health scenarios, and the entire user life cycle, enabling it to provide users with integrated online-to-offline diagnostic and therapeutic services as well as health management.

(Specialty Center Page within the JD Health App)

Jin Enlin, CEO of JD Health, stated that the development of internet healthcare has entered a “health-oriented” phase. Since the beginning of this year, JD Health has invited experts on a small scale to jointly explore ways to promote the standardized development of the internet healthcare industry. “With the formal establishment of this Expert Committee, we aim to fully leverage the academic expertise of our experts, combined with JD Health’s extensive experience in integrating internet capabilities, innovative technologies, and medical resources. Together, we will innovate new models for specialized online diagnosis and treatment services, providing users with more professional and trustworthy healthcare services.”

It is reported that the inaugural plenary session of the Expert Committee was held online on the same day as its establishment. During the meeting, the Committee’s Charter was discussed and approved, and work plans for the next phase were studied and deployed. Key matters clarified included standards for medical record quality control scoring, classification and standardized procedures for handling adverse medical safety events, and plans for continuous improvement of medical quality.

Xu Jun, Chief Physician of the Department of Neurology at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, serves as Vice Chairman of the Expert Committee and concurrently as the Chief Expert of the JD Health Brain Nutrition Center. He introduced that traditional brick-and-mortar hospitals, in terms of quality control, emphasize not only the substantive content of medical records but also their standardization, timeliness, and completeness. In contrast, internet hospitals prioritize the substantive content of medical records—such as the accuracy of diagnoses, recommendations, and particularly prescriptions—ensuring full-process documentation and traceability, thereby aligning with integrated online-offline quality control standards.

Subsequently, members of the Internet Healthcare Special Committee will conduct regular online random audits of medical records, with a focus on the quality of diagnosis and treatment, such as the accuracy of diagnoses and prescriptions. Upon identifying any non-compliant practices, notifications will be sent to directly alert the physicians involved. In cases of serious medical errors, penalties will be imposed on the physicians, or their services may be suspended or removed from the platform.

In the future, the Internet Medical Special Committee of JD Health will also promote the formulation of standards for internet-based specialized diagnosis and treatment, provide technical guidance for internet diagnosis and treatment services, help establish risk assessment and early warning mechanisms, improve the quality of internet diagnosis and treatment services, and reduce medical risks.