Information Technology Applications and Insights in Epidemic Prevention and Control by Xiao Hui, Director of the Information Center at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University

 On November 29, 2020, jointly organized by the Chinese Society of Health Informatics and Medical Big Data, the Information Professional Committee of the Chinese Hospital Association, and the China Critical Information Infrastructure Technology Innovation Alliance, and co-organized by Sangfor Technologies Inc.“Bay Area Insights · 2020 Cybersecurity Conference – Smart Healthcare Special Session”Successfully held in Shenzhen.

Director of the Information Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongnan Hospital”)Xiao HuiDeliver a Keynote Address《Application and Reflections on Informatics in Epidemic Prevention and Control》, VCBeat has compiled its excellent content.

Xiao Hui, Director of the Information Center at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University

2020 was an extraordinary year. During this period, humanity witnessed the most severe infectious disease pandemic in a century, resulting in over one million deaths, plunging the global economy into recession, and severely impacting social welfare and public livelihood. However, in both the critical battle to curb the spread of the epidemic and the ongoing protracted efforts in pandemic prevention and control, modern information technologies—spearheaded by emerging paradigms such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and 5G—have played a pivotal role. These technologies have demonstrated significant application value in interrupting disease transmission, monitoring, early warning, and assessment of outbreaks, as well as in the emergency response to clustered infections.

The full-scale outbreak of the epidemic has spurred the widespread application of information technology in the healthcare sector, rapidly driving high-speed development across the entire industry; however, numerous issues remain to be addressed.

During this epidemic prevention and control effort, Zhongnan Hospital participated throughout as a “main force” and witnessed the outstanding performance of medical informatization in this campaign.

Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, established in 1956, is a national Grade A tertiary hospital integrating medical care, teaching, scientific research, preventive healthcare, and community services, with 3,300 approved beds.

Expansion and Renovation of the Main Campus's Fever Clinic and Isolation Ward:On January 3, Zhongnan Hospital began renovating its fever clinic, with medical staff gradually implementing personal protective measures; subsequently, work commenced on expanding and upgrading the isolation wards, requiring all personnel entering the hospital to be fully equipped with personal protective equipment.

Taking Over Wuhan No. 7 Hospital:On January 21, Zhongnan Hospital officially took over Wuhan No. 7 Hospital; on January 23, Wuhan went into lockdown, medical resources were extremely scarce, and the hospital began admitting patients; on March 14, all patients were discharged, and an online fever clinic was established.

Construction and Operation of the Wuhan Living Room Fangcang Shelter Hospital:On February 5, Zhongnan Hospital rapidly constructed a makeshift hospital; on February 7, it officially began admitting patients, with information technology providing rapid support for treatment; on March 8, the makeshift hospital was officially closed.

Taking Over Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital:On February 8, Zhongnan Hospital took over the management of Leishenshan Hospital, providing medical treatment while construction was still underway; by April 14, all patients had been discharged; on April 15, Leishenshan Hospital ceased operations and shifted its focus to construction, training, and operational maintenance.

Headquarters Expansion and Renovation: 2,000-Bed Isolation WardOn February 16, Zhongnan Hospital expanded and renovated its wards, implementing the “three zones and two channels” layout, deploying 5G-enabled information systems, and conducting nucleic acid testing for millions of people. On February 18, the hospital began admitting patients. By March 26, all patients had been discharged, a remote emergency command mechanism was established, and the internet hospital was officially launched.

Gradual Resumption of Normal Diagnosis and Treatment:Since March 23, we have shared epidemic prevention and control experiences with 13 countries; conducted in-depth mining of scientific research data, with our papers ranking second worldwide in citation counts, surpassed only by Harvard; and gradually restored normal clinical diagnosis and treatment services.

As a designated hospital, Zhongnan Hospital’s core mission during the epidemic was to improve cure rates and minimize fatalities, while ensuring efficient treatment processes and implementing rigorous infection prevention and control measures. As a key partner of Zhongnan Hospital, Sangfor Technologies provided systematic solutions through information technology and IT infrastructure, helping the hospital effectively meet all infection control requirements.

During the batch admission, discharge, and referral registration of patients, the Fangcang Hospital system is connected via cloud-based deployment to triage, categorize, and classify patients based on their clinical conditions, thereby determining whether they need to be transferred to Leishenshan Hospital or discharged to isolation facilities.

In terms of medical order assessment, a bidirectional system between medical order sheets and the physician workstation is established through an information technology platform to achieve comprehensive and precise documentation for patients.

Comprehensive Electronic Monitoring:Real-time video monitoring is installed in the first PPE doffing room, where monitors centrally observe and provide guidance. Additionally, monitors can perform cloud-based monitoring and offer remote guidance via mobile devices.

Real-Time Audio-Video Interactive System:By leveraging interventional video, address communication challenges between medical staff in the “three zones and two corridors” layout, minimize the time healthcare workers spend inside isolation wards, and thereby reduce the risk of infection.

Remote Imaging Diagnosis:By leveraging the “Regional Imaging Collaboration Platform,” once a hospital is connected, physicians at Zhongnan Hospital can interpret images and issue reports for patients from across China while remaining at their own institution.

HIS Cloud Deployment:Under the “Tianyi Cloud” operating model, the information system leverages the features of cloud desktop applications to facilitate rapid deployment and enhance its scalability and operational maintenance capabilities.

Big Data Mining for Scientific Research:Leveraging automated tools to enable autonomous data governance and the creation of disease-specific registries, while employing artificial intelligence algorithms for text parsing and structured data mining to advance scientific research.

Cloud Computing:Cloud desktops, as foundational applications, are deployed in a distributed manner across various scenarios, with dynamic scaling at the PaaS layer of cloud computing services.

Data Reporting and Utilization:Deploy the system on a private cloud to extend data capabilities, leveraging existing BI and AIoT solutions for data cleansing and processing, thereby facilitating overall command center disease prevention and control operations and resource allocation.

IoT - Electronic Fence:Leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) to establish electronic geofences, enabling centralized management and control of various zones.

Mobile Internet:Leverage 5G technology for remote diagnosis and treatment, gradually build an internet-based healthcare system, and promote the balanced distribution of medical resources.

Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic System:By leveraging deep learning to analyze CT imaging features, the system establishes intelligent image recognition capabilities. It interprets respiratory parameters to autonomously adapt to clinical classifications. With an accuracy rate of up to 99%, the system significantly reduces the workload of healthcare professionals.

Robots perform ward disinfection and medical supply delivery:The robot achieves indoor navigation and positioning by integrating multiple sensors, undertaking tasks such as delivering lab reports, administering medications, delivering meals to isolation zones, and collecting medical waste and performing disinfection.

It is understandable that informatization measures and the application of new technologies have indeed played a significant role in promoting epidemic prevention and control efforts; however, numerous drawbacks still persist.

Incomplete Health Data:The integrity of health data cannot be guaranteed in terms of data connectivity across hospitals and post-discharge patient follow-up. On one hand, difficulties in collecting demographic information hinder the effective exchange of electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic medical records (EMRs). On the other hand, communication during patient transfers, predominantly conducted via telephone, introduces significant uncertainties, resulting in high coordination challenges and extremely low operational efficiency.

To address this predicament, Xiao Hui proposed four solutions: first, establish a national health information platform to open up regional data resource channels and enhance business collaboration capabilities; second, achieve cross-departmental data flow and joint prevention and control to form an integrated interaction network; third, leverage AI technology to strengthen follow-up care and realize full-process management of patients both inside and outside the hospital; fourth, accelerate the development of internet hospitals to enhance inter-departmental collaboration capabilities.

Difficulties in Integrating the Infectious Disease Network Direct Reporting System with the Hospital Information System (HIS):Data holds significant value for epidemic prevention and control, yet its transmission faces numerous challenges. The process involves data entry into the Hospital Information System (HIS), followed by aggregation and transfer to the Hospital Infection Control Office. After review by this office, the data is forwarded to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for investigation. Only upon confirmation can the data be reported to the CTC.

Data Security:During the epidemic prevention and control efforts, multiple incidents of privacy infringement occurred online, in which individuals or relevant departments disclosed personal private information—such as names, mobile phone numbers, detailed addresses, and ID card numbers—without authorization, under the pretext of tracing close contacts of confirmed cases.

To prevent such incidents from recurring, government agencies have introduced multiple policies to strengthen information security management. User trajectory data provided by telecom operators and personal information of confirmed cases provided by the National Health Commission must undergo “de-identification,” and information sharing is permitted only when strictly necessary. Sangfor Technologies has also provided us with solutions to ensure the security of medical information.

Consider the personalized needs of special populations:Special populations, such as the elderly, women, and children, often exhibit resistance to the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. Therefore, in the process of building healthcare information systems, their personalized needs should be fully considered to enhance both the value and the human touch of digital health initiatives.