International Experts Converge at the 2nd SinoUnited Health Women's Health Symposium: Advancing Global Dialogue on Breast Health, Sexual Wellness, and Gynecological Care
In the healthcare sector, women’s health is receiving increasing attention as constraints on women’s family roles ease, their economic strength grows, and their social roles expand. From individuals to society at large, higher expectations and demands are being placed on women’s health across all levels. In the context of the pandemic, how to leverage the latest clinical research findings and online healthcare technologies to meet these needs has become a topic of shared concern within the global medical community.
After a two-year hiatus, the 2nd “Yaoying Medical · International Symposium on Women’s Health” was convened in 2021. Yaoying Medical, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, a renowned international medical institution, and physicians from Shanghai’s top-tier tertiary hospitals, jointly focused on the development, challenges, and prevention of women’s health issues from a professional perspective.
During the one-day online symposium, Chinese and international physicians delivered nearly ten engaging keynote presentations, followed by online discussions and Q&A sessions. Key topics addressed included: How to provide telemedicine services to breast cancer patients during the pandemic? How to conduct medical assessments of female sexual health? Can breast cancer patients still conceive? The symposium tackled controversial and sensitive issues in clinical practice, fostering intellectual exchange among physicians from different countries and attracting active participation from numerous healthcare professionals. Statistics show that the event garnered over 40,000 cumulative views and received widespread acclaim from industry experts.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, how can the healthcare industry maintain steady development? To explore effective solutions, Shanghai Yaoying Medical Management Co., Ltd. focused on medical innovations driven by the latest internet technologies and invited Dr. Sandhya PRUTHI from Mayo Clinic to share her insights.
As Director of Medical Oncology at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Dr. Sandhya Pruthi presented detailed case studies illustrating how Mayo Clinic leveraged telemedicine during the pandemic to provide timely advice and medical support to breast cancer patients. Notably, as a technological means of extending physician–patient engagement, telemedicine more effectively harnesses the advantages of multidisciplinary team consultations. When integrated with in-person visit workflows, it significantly enhances the efficiency of health management for breast cancer patients and simplifies their care pathways. Within an efficient and mature healthcare system, such approaches play a pivotal role, offering substantial benefits to oncology patients during the pandemic.
In fact, online healthcare is also a hot topic in the global medical community. In China, a batch of internet hospitals are emerging. As one of the first non-public medical institutions in Shanghai to obtain qualifications for operating an internet hospital, Shanghai Yaoying Medical Management Co., Ltd. is actively exploring this field. The insights shared by experts from Mayo Clinic have provided an international perspective and approach to the operation of internet hospitals.
“Caring for women, focusing on reproductive health, and improving the national health level” is the work objective and task proposed by the National Population and Family Planning Commission. Attaching importance to women’s health, sexual health issues cannot be ignored.
At this forum, Shanghai Yaoying Medical, which has consistently prioritized women’s health, invited Dr. Carol L. Kuhle, Director of the Center for Menopause and Women’s Sexual Health at Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Jennifer A. Vencill, a psychologist and sex therapist, to discuss how patients can assess and manage related issues from multiple perspectives. Their discussion was grounded in evidence-based research and data, building upon an analysis of models of sexual desire.
Among them, Carol L. KUHLE reviewed the definition and complexity of HSDD in her presentation and discussed potential treatment options with the audience. Jennifer A. VENCILL explored the role of sex and relationship therapy in addressing sexual dysfunction from psychological and behavioral perspectives, identified the multifaceted nature of sexual desire and clinical assessment strategies for low libido, and debunked myths surrounding sex therapy.
In addition, Professor Lu Zheng, Chief Physician of the Department of Psychiatry at Tongji Hospital affiliated with Tongji University, was also invited to attend the conference. Focusing on “Adolescent Sexual Mental Health,” he analyzed the causes of adolescent sexual behaviors and deviations in sexual psychology from the perspective of the characteristics of adolescent psychosexual development, and proposed strategies to address adolescent sexual mental health issues, guiding young people to establish healthy concepts of sexual well-being from an early age.
During the online roundtable session, Dr. Yan Yiwen, Director of the Women’s Health Center at Shanghai Yaoying Medical; Dr. Timothy Kelly, Director of Behavioral Health Development and Psychotherapist; Dr. Xu Gang, Director of Urology at Shanghai Yaoying Medical; Dr. Carol L. Kuhle; and Dr. Jennifer A. Vencill engaged in a lively discussion on the theme of “Sexual Challenges and Treatment,” striving to provide high-quality, lifelong health protection for women of all ages.
“Under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges facing healthcare professionals have become more severe. Yet these challenges have neither eroded our confidence nor lowered our high standards for ourselves. On the contrary, it is precisely these difficulties that have united us with colleagues both at home and abroad, galvanizing a cohesive force across all levels of our organization,” stated Dr. Shi Haoying, Founder and Executive CEO of Shanghai Yaoying Medical Management Co., Ltd. (SinoUnited Health) and Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, in his forum address. “Safeguarding women’s health entails not only addressing their medical conditions but also caring for their psychological well-being, thereby achieving higher aspirations.”
Key issues closely related to women’s health have frequently been in the spotlight at the forum, serving as a concrete embodiment of this approach.
According to statistics from the National Cancer Center, China sees approximately 300,000 new breast cancer cases annually, with patients’ average age being significantly lower than that in other countries, underscoring the growing importance of breast health issues. At this forum, Dr. Liu Guangyu from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Dr. Zhu Wei from Zhongshan Hospital delivered presentations on “Fertility-Related Issues in Breast Cancer Patients” and “Practice and Reflections on Breast-Conserving Surgery,” respectively. They provided a detailed analysis of clinical concerns highly valued by patients, including fertility preservation and breast-conserving surgery.
Furthermore, gynecological health was also a highlight of the forum. During the afternoon’s themed sessions on gynecological health, Dr. Megan Wasson, a gynecologist at Mayo Clinic, presented on minimally invasive approaches for treating extra-pelvic and deeply infiltrating endometriosis. Dr. Wang Qing, Deputy Director of the Department of Gynecology at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, discussed hysteroscopic treatment for intrauterine adhesions. Meanwhile, Dr. Johnny Yi, a urogynecologist at Mayo Clinic, delivered a presentation titled “Advances in the Management and Treatment of Urinary Incontinence,” providing an overview of the latest developments in therapeutic strategies for urinary incontinence.
During the Q&A session, Dr. Wu Buchu and Dr. Zheng Li from Shanghai Yaoying Medical served as moderators and engaged in a stimulating discussion with Dr. Lv Mingxu from Fugesheng Health Management, Dr. Tong Xiaowen from the School of Medicine at Tongji University, and Dr. Wang Qing from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University.
With the successful holding of the 2nd “Yaoying Medical · International Symposium on Women’s Health,” this international platform for women’s medicine, spearheaded by Yaoying Medical, has taken initial shape. As Dr. Shi Haoying remarked in her opening address, “Advances in medicine do not happen overnight,” and it likewise takes time to cultivate a mature platform for academic exchange. We are confident that as the Yaoying Medical Women’s Health Center continues to develop and multidisciplinary collaboration deepens, Yaoying will move ever closer to its goal of “Warmth for Every ‘Her’.”
