Alliance Between Fangzhou Jianke and Santen to Pioneer an Internet-Plus Ophthalmic Chronic Disease Management Model

On April 7, Ark Health (Fangzhou Jianke), China’s leading smart health service platform, entered into a strategic partnership with Santen, an international ophthalmology specialist. The two parties will leverage their respective strengths in internet healthcare and pharmaceutical health to deepen collaboration in ophthalmology through internet hospitals. Together, they aim to explore an “Internet + Healthcare” chronic disease management model for ophthalmic conditions, creating a comprehensive digital service ecosystem that facilitates smoother doctor-patient communication, more efficient disease progression management, and greater convenience in follow-up care and medication for ophthalmology patients in China.

On that day, the two parties held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Shanghai under the theme “New Model of ‘Internet + Healthcare’ for Chronic Eye Disease Management.” Xie Fangmin, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Fangzhou Jianke, and Takayuki Yamada, President of Santen China, jointly signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement.

(The photo shows Xie Fangmin, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ark Health, and Takayuki Yamada, President of Santen China, signing the strategic cooperation agreement.)

With the widespread adoption of electronic devices and an accelerating aging population, the incidence of ophthalmic diseases is on the rise. Currently, China has over 900 million individuals affected by myopia and dry eye disease.^【1】, with over 20 million glaucoma patients^【2】From a current clinical perspective, glaucoma is an irreversible blinding eye disease. Its treatment and management constitute a long-term process; failure to adhere to medical advice and implement timely, sustained intervention and control may lead to serious consequences.

At this year’s Two Sessions, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference called for incorporating the prevention and control of eye diseases into the national chronic disease management system. Chronic disease management has also been included as one of the goals in building the national health system. The 14th Five-Year Plan and the “2035 Vision” specifically point out that “expanding the national immunization program and strengthening chronic disease prevention, early screening, and comprehensive intervention” is the direction for future development.

However, one of the core issues in current chronic disease management is patients’ insufficient awareness. Studies have shown that only 42.0% of elderly patients who underwent glaucoma surgery demonstrated high adherence to follow-up visits, and low awareness of follow-up care is a major factor contributing to poor outpatient follow-up adherence.

^【3】Young and middle-aged adults often lack self-healthcare awareness and have insufficient understanding of chronic diseases. Meanwhile, many patients with chronic conditions exhibit poor adherence, failing to take medications as prescribed or attend regular follow-up appointments. This phenomenon further undermines the efficiency of chronic disease prevention, control, and management.

To this end, as a specialized ophthalmology company, Santen has partnered with Fangzhou Jianke to respond to national policies by integrating “Internet + Healthcare” into chronic disease management. Together, they are exploring innovative models for managing chronic ophthalmic conditions and building a diversified, integrated, and efficient service platform for physicians and patients.

Through Fangzhou Jianke’s internet hospital platform, physicians can deliver continuous treatment plans, extend the duration of care provided by the same physician, and expand their service reach. Leveraging the advanced technological platform offered by Fangzhou Jianke Internet Hospital, patients can receive ongoing education and follow-up management after their initial outpatient visit, thereby enhancing their overall diagnosis, treatment, and subsequent management experience. The platform will provide both international and domestic cutting-edge academic and practical references to support physicians during the diagnostic and treatment process, while also delivering patient-friendly health education materials. These efforts aim to improve patients’ disease awareness and self-management capabilities, ultimately increasing engagement in chronic disease management and adherence to treatment regimens.

(The image shows representatives from both companies taking the stage to launch a new model of "Internet + Medical" chronic disease management in ophthalmology.)

Xie Fangmin, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Fangzhou Jianke, stated that as a domestic digital healthcare online health management service platform, Fangzhou Jianke has been deeply committed to the field of chronic disease management, seeking breakthroughs and innovations in the management model centered on patients and establishing familiar doctor-patient relationships.

Xie Fangmin introduced that the new “Internet +” model for chronic ophthalmic disease management, jointly developed with Santen, differs from traditional physician-led patient management. Traditionally, physicians adopt a passive approach, interacting with patients only when they are ill, while remaining mutually “undisturbed” during periods of wellness. “The new model we have co-created with Santen leverages internet technologies and tools to proactively engage with patients, enabling real-time monitoring of medication adherence and providing continuous therapeutic services. This not only offers convenience to patients but also allows physicians to collect diagnostic data, facilitating timely adjustments to treatment plans when necessary.” This “Internet +” approach to chronic ophthalmic disease management will also effectively improve physicians’ time utilization, reserving offline consultations for more first-time patients.

Mr. Takayuki Yamada, President of Santen China, introduced that Santen has been dedicated to the field of ophthalmology for over a century, accumulating professional service experience, ophthalmic medical knowledge, and technological expertise on a global scale. Meanwhile, Santen maintains active exchanges with authoritative ophthalmologists worldwide. Particularly in the management of diseases such as glaucoma, Santen has established relatively mature experience and technologies in countries with higher degrees of population aging, including those in Europe, the United States, and Japan. In this collaboration, Santen can serve as a bridge by leveraging its partnership platform with Fangzhou Jianke to integrate these experiences and technologies into the clinical diagnosis and treatment processes employed by Chinese physicians, thereby empowering doctors and enhancing patient education. Santen is committed to working alongside Fangzhou Jianke to continue exploring new methods and models, helping to elevate the medical proficiency of Chinese ophthalmologists, promote industry standardization, and improve public awareness of ophthalmic diseases. Through these efforts, Santen aims to help build a robust ophthalmic ecosystem and make sustained contributions toward achieving the goals of “Healthy China 2030.”

Founded in 2009, Fangzhou Jianke has established itself as a leading smart health service platform in China since its inception. After more than ten years of rapid development, the company has attracted over 300,000 doctors from across the country to join its platform and has served more than 100 million users cumulatively. Upholding the mission of “Making Everyone Healthier,” and leveraging its extensive industry experience and advantages in internet technology, the company is dedicated to advancing the development of internet hospitals. Through technological innovation, it has pioneered a new H2H (Hospital to Home) smart healthcare ecosystem. This model creates a closed-loop internet medical service system supported by the Jianke Fangzhou series of internet hospitals, a distributed chronic disease management service center integrating terminal and cloud capabilities, a health-focused new media matrix, and a nationally renowned pharmaceutical e-commerce platform. By extending medical services from within hospitals to outside settings, evolving from offline-only consultations to a model of “initial offline diagnosis + online follow-up,” and shifting the focus from “treating existing diseases” to “preventive care,” the company breaks the constraints of time and location. This enables more patients to access high-quality medical services conveniently and promptly anytime, anywhere, thoroughly addressing the challenges of difficult access to medical care and high medication costs, ultimately realizing its vision of becoming the most trusted smart health service platform.

Santen is a specialized company focused on ophthalmology, primarily engaged in the research and development, marketing, and sales of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, and medical devices. As the market leader in prescription ophthalmic medications in Japan, Santen’s products now reach patients in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide. With a history spanning nearly 130 years, Santen has accumulated extensive scientific knowledge and built strong organizational capabilities. The company is committed to contributing to society by providing products and services that improve the health and well-being of patients and their families. For more information, please visit the Santen China website at http://www.santen-china.cn/.

Data Source:

[1], [2]: Analysis of Domestic Technologies, Current Status, and Development Trends in China's Ophthalmic Medical Care Industry in 2020

http://www.chyxx.com/industry/202006/872359.html

[3]: Investigation of Outpatient Follow-up Compliance and Its Influencing Factors in Elderly Patients After Glaucoma Surgery