JD Health Debuts at CHIMA 2021, Leveraging Digital-Intelligent Supply Chain to Optimize Resource Allocation in Regional Traditional Chinese Medicine Industrial Ecosystems

Amid the surge of “Internet + Healthcare,” big data, and medical artificial intelligence, the development of internet infrastructure and operations in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals, as well as the application of big data in integrated TCM and Western medicine, have garnered increased attention and discussion within the industry.

On July 29, the 2021 China Hospital Information Network Association (CHIMA) Conference kicked off in Qingdao. JD Health, in collaboration with CHIMA and HIT Expert Network, hosted the “Digital Intelligence-Driven Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Forum,” where renowned experts engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics such as the integrated development of the smart TCM industry chain, the construction of internet hospitals with TCM characteristics, regional TCM medical consortia, and the creation of an integrated ecosystem for the TCM supply chain.

CHIMA Chairman Wang Youcai attended the conference and delivered a speech, expressing his appreciation for JD Health’s courage in “tackling the toughest challenges” and hoping that JD Health would continue to shine in the informatization of traditional Chinese medicine.

Wang Dongyuan, General Manager of Smart Healthcare at JD Health, stated that as population aging accelerates, there is growing national emphasis on chronic disease management and health prevention. Upholding equal importance to and complementary advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, while vigorously developing the TCM sector, benefits the health of hundreds of millions of people. In response, JD Health is actively exploring the value and role of “Internet Plus” in the innovative development of TCM, accelerating the integrated development of the “Internet Plus TCM” industry chain through digitalization and intelligent technologies.

At the conference, the “Research System for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Health Management of ‘Preventive Care’ in the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Medical Consortium,” jointly promoted by Tianjin Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (Nankai Hospital) and JD Health, was officially launched, along with the release of a plan for the customization and promotion of national-level standards.

It is reported that, under the guidance of the Division of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) of the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission, the “Nankai Hospital Integrated TCM and Western Medicine Medical Consortium Center for Preventive Treatment” at Tianjin Nankai Hospital has been successfully established. The center aims to build an integrated TCM and Western medicine “Preventive Treatment” hub featuring a “three-tier linkage and three-pronged prevention” approach. This includes a TCM-Western integrative health management model for “preventing disease before it occurs,” a TCM-Western integrative chronic disease management model for “preventing progression in existing diseases,” and a TCM-Western integrative health education model for “preventing relapse after recovery.”

Wang Ximo, President of Tianjin Nankai Hospital, stated that the “preventive treatment of disease” model within the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine medical consortium differs from the traditional TCM approach. This integrated model incorporates Western medical interventions—including pharmacotherapy, biochemical testing, ultrasound imaging, and surgical procedures—into the traditional TCM framework, which emphasizes valuing life, prioritizing health preservation, and preventing disease before it occurs. By leveraging digital and intelligent technologies to digitize care processes across the entire lifecycle (pre-diagnosis, during diagnosis, and post-diagnosis), the model establishes a knowledge system for preventive treatment that combines both TCM and Western medicine, thereby playing a significant role in public health practices focused on disease prevention.

It is reported that following the project’s launch, JD Health will provide end-to-end digital and intelligent technology support, assist in building medical consortiums and establishing information-based operational systems for multiple disease types, and jointly advance the development of an evaluation indicator system. Industry experts believe that this project will foster coordination across the three-tier healthcare system, implement functional positioning for medical institutions at all levels in line with tiered diagnosis and treatment and medical consortium initiatives, thereby driving an overall improvement in regional healthcare service standards.

In fact, in addition to the "preventive treatment of disease" project under the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine medical consortium jointly promoted with Nankai Hospital, JD Health is actively advancing the implementation of a new regional "Internet + Medical Consortium" model for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For instance, in September 2020, Taicang City in Jiangsu Province partnered with JD Health to launch the "Healthy Taicang" initiative. As one of the leading institutions, Taicang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine is spearheading the development of a regional TCM "Internet + Medical Consortium," facilitating the deployment of various projects including an internet hospital, a prescription circulation platform, "Internet + nursing" services, and an "Internet + telemedicine assistance" platform. These efforts aim to leverage the resource allocation capabilities of "Internet +" technologies to extend the reach of Taicang’s TCM services to users in broader regions. Meanwhile, JD Health will collaborate with the Tongchuan Municipal Health Commission, using standardized and homogeneous integrated decoction and dispensing services as an entry point to promote the delivery of high-quality TCM products from the herbal supply chain. Centered on a digital and intelligent integrated TCM supply ecosystem, this partnership seeks to accelerate the construction of smart services across the entire regional TCM ecosystem.

In fact, JD Health’s active participation in digital and intelligent research projects integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with Western medicine exemplifies its deep engagement in the informatization of TCM. Previously, JD Health had already established ongoing, in-depth collaborations with offline hospitals, continuously exploring models to enhance the operational capabilities of internet hospitals. Leveraging its own strengths, JD Health has assisted traditional TCM hospitals in their digital transformation, particularly in areas such as TCM prescription review and TCM-assisted diagnosis.

(Nankai JD Internet Hospital)

In April 2020, the “Nankai JD Internet Hospital,” jointly established by JD Health and Nankai Hospital, was launched, marking a milestone in JD Health’s deep integration into in-hospital scenarios and its enhancement of offline hospitals’ internet hospital operational capabilities. On one hand, regarding product positioning, both parties initially focused on three key aspects aligned with policy initiatives and patient healthcare needs: follow-up consultations, medication procurement, and nursing care. They constructed a closed-loop service system encompassing health consultations, online follow-up visits, e-prescriptions, online medical insurance payments, chronic disease management, home-based nursing, and medication delivery. On the other hand, leveraging JD’s high-quality user base and internet technologies, they provided the hospital with an integrated, specialty-focused internet healthcare platform. While ensuring smooth business operations and perfecting the vertical service closed loop, they also prioritized disciplinary development to address the fundamental needs of medical care. Furthermore, both parties actively promoted the use of smart wearable devices to enhance post-diagnosis management and chronic disease management, thereby further improving the operational capabilities of the internet hospital.

In January 2021, the “JD Internet Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine,” jointly established by JD Health and the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, was officially launched. As the first internet hospital specializing in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Henan Province, the partnership fully integrates JD Health’s operational strengths with the distinctive features of TCM diagnosis and treatment. For instance, tailored to the characteristics of TCM, JD Health developed customized prescription review rules based on the “Eighteen Incompatibilities and Nineteen Antagonisms” to enhance medication safety. Additionally, through pre-consultation questionnaires, upload of tongue and facial images, customized assessment scales, and TCM prescription templates, the platform effectively reduces physicians’ workload and improves the operational efficiency of the internet hospital.

(Design of TCM-Specific Features)

It is reported that since its trial operation began in June 2020, the JD Internet Hospital affiliated with the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine has served patients across more than 20 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions nationwide, reaching as far as Xinjiang and Hainan. The patient satisfaction rate has reached 95%. The platform has launched 36 online departments for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis and treatment, and established a comprehensive service workflow that includes online record creation, appointment scheduling, registration, consultation, follow-up visits, prescription issuance, medication delivery, home-based rehabilitation guidance, post-consultation follow-ups, and patient evaluations. This initiative has not only significantly expanded the coverage of high-quality medical resources but also explored an efficient and viable operational model for TCM internet hospitals.

To many, seeing a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner is synonymous with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal baths. In reality, however, these distinctive therapeutic modalities constitute only the “during-consultation” services of TCM. Pre-consultation assessments—including inspection, auscultation/olfaction, and inquiry—as well as post-consultation health management are equally critical for accurate diagnosis and monitoring treatment efficacy.

Focusing on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consultation services, JD Health officially launched its TCM Hospital and TCM Consultation Center last year. Renowned National Medical Masters and esteemed senior TCM practitioners, including Zhang Daning and Gao Sihua, along with their expert teams, have joined the platform. Leveraging this robust TCM expertise, JD Health provides users with online consultations, follow-up visits with prescription renewals, and multidisciplinary team consultations. Currently, JD Health’s TCM Hospital has established multiple departments covering clinical care, scientific research, and education. It offers TCM diagnostic and treatment services alongside a diversified product portfolio that includes medicine-food homology products, health supplements, and skincare items. Both the volume of consultation orders and the user base on the platform continue to experience rapid growth.

Building on its integration of high-quality traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical resources, JD Health has also actively engaged in in-depth collaborations with TCM hospitals. Leveraging its own advantages, it assists these traditional institutions in their digital transformation—particularly in areas such as TCM prescription review and AI-assisted TCM diagnosis—thereby extending online services to a broader user base.

In addition to bringing TCM consultation services to the “cloud,” JD Health has been continuously improving its traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) supply chain system, tailored to the unique distribution and administration characteristics of TCM products, thereby further enhancing their accessibility. Taking decoction as an example, unlike Western medicines that are typically taken orally in ready-to-use forms, most TCM formulations require decoction before administration. The raw materials for TCM herbal slices are diverse and subject to varying requirements; the adequacy of the decoction process can directly affect therapeutic efficacy, inadvertently raising the barrier to TCM use for many consumers.

(JD Pharmacy TCM Store Page)

To this end, JD Health launched its Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) decoction pieces service platform in September 2020. After users complete online consultations at the JD Health TCM Hospital, a professional team provides herbal decoction services, effectively reducing the loss of active medicinal ingredients caused by improper handling. The platform also features a “prescription-based dispensing” function: users need only take a photo of their prescription and upload it via mobile phone. Leading industry providers of TCM decoction pieces, including Tongrentang Health, Kangrentang, and Bencao Fangyuan, deliver high-quality TCM decoction pieces that comply with both national standards and platform requirements.

Addressing the widespread public concern over the inconsistent quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), JD Health, in collaboration with numerous partners including Tongrentang Health, has launched the “JD Health Standards for Quality and Service Platforms for TCM Decoction Pieces.” These standards impose strict regulations on several key areas: origin and quality control mechanisms for TCM raw materials, full-inspection protocols for TCM decoction pieces, five major control standards for smart decoction centers, a whole-process supply chain traceability system, and red-line mechanisms, thereby ensuring service quality.

Wang Dongyuan stated that with the widespread adoption of the whole-life-cycle health management concept, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services are gradually expanding from the traditional focus on “preventive treatment” to cover a more diverse range of health scenarios. Building on the two core pillars of “medical care” and “pharmaceuticals,” JD Health is deeply cultivating the industrial ecosystem of “Internet + TCM.” The company will continue to leverage digital and intelligent technologies to promote the integrated development of the TCM industry, comprehensively meet users’ demands for TCM services, and create greater space for the inheritance of TCM culture and service innovation.