Shanghai First Maternity & Infant Hospital Partners with Haodf Online to Support 'Healthy China Mothers Initiative'

Every Mother Has the Power of Health.

“Mother” is the name we remember earliest and forget last in our lives. In every household, a mother is like the spring rain that silently nourishes all things, subtly influencing the health of the entire family. Family health serves as the foundation for national health and is a prerequisite for achieving the “Healthy China” initiative. Therefore, the All-China Women’s Federation, the National Health Commission, and the General Administration of Sport of China have jointly launched the “Healthy China: Mothers’ Action” campaign, calling on mothers across the country to take action, inspire family members to cultivate health awareness, and adopt healthy lifestyles. Meanwhile, Mao Qun’an, Director of the Department of Planning Development and Information at the National Health Commission and Deputy Director of the Office of the Healthy China Action Promotion Committee, has issued a call to healthcare professionals, urging doctors to actively participate in caring for women and children by providing them with high-quality medical and healthcare services.

Free clinic consultations and medical assistance are among the core missions of the Healthy China Mothers Initiative. As an invited partner organization, Haodf Online has actively undertaken this responsibility by collaborating with top-tier public tertiary hospitals across China to provide continuous free online clinical consultation services to mothers nationwide. This initiative represents a breakthrough innovation in traditional free clinics, combining the robust professional expertise of public hospitals with the efficiency and convenience of internet platforms, as well as the advantage of aggregating physician resources across regions to serve patients throughout China. In doing so, it better achieves the Healthy China Mothers Initiative’s goal of “expanding the coverage and beneficiary reach of public welfare programs.”

It is reported that the first phase of this large-scale online free clinic, open to participants across China, will last for five weeks, with specialized free clinics featuring different themes launched each week. The first session will run from June 29 to July 5, provided by Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, a leading authority in obstetrics and gynecology nationwide, in collaboration with Haodf Online. As one of the earliest provincial- and municipal-level maternal and child health hospitals established in China and among the first batch of Baby-Friendly Hospitals nationwide, the hospital boasts an Obstetrics Department designated as one of the first National Key Clinical Specialties, while its Gynecology Department has been selected as a Key Clinical Discipline of Shanghai Municipality. With approximately 30,000 deliveries annually, one out of every six newborns in Shanghai is delivered at this hospital, earning it the affectionate nickname “Shanghai’s Great Cradle” among residents. In 2019, the hospital ranked third in the Science and Technology Evaluation Metrics (STEM) for Obstetrics and Gynecology among Chinese hospitals, eighth in the National Hospital Ranking (Comprehensive Specialty), and second in the Internet Influence Ranking for Obstetrics and Gynecology among Chinese hospitals.

Led by President Wan Xiaoping of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, the special free clinic under the “Healthy China Mothers’ Initiative” involved all relevant clinical departments of the hospital, including Gynecology, Obstetrics, Fetal Medicine, Assisted Reproductive Medicine, Family Planning, Breast Surgery, Reproductive Immunology, Cervical Diseases, and Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, with more than 120 physicians participating in total.

Free Online Medical Consultations: Delivering National-Level Expertise and Convenient Services to Patients Across ChinaMs. Wang, a resident of a province in western China, had planned to travel to a major city this summer to consult with specialists for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Through Haodf Online, she selected Professor Li Kunming from the First Department of Assisted Reproduction at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital. IVF involves numerous related tests; some can be completed locally in advance, while others must be performed specifically at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital. Since both testing and oocyte retrieval are closely tied to the menstrual cycle, choosing the optimal time to travel to Shanghai was critical for Ms. Wang. Additionally, she had undergone cervical conization two months earlier. Although her wound had healed, she was still on medication. This raised the question of whether it was safe to begin IVF under these circumstances. Complicating matters further, her hometown is far from Shanghai, and the country was currently under epidemic prevention and control measures...

To avoid a futile trip spanning thousands of kilometers, Ms. Wang, who was filled with countless questions, submitted an application for a free consultation to Dr. Li Kunming via the Haodf Online app. Dr. Li patiently explained which additional tests were needed, which procedures had to be performed in Shanghai, the estimated duration of her stay, and the optimal time for her visit. He also provided clear answers regarding cone biopsy surgery and HPV-related concerns, which were a major source of anxiety for the patient. After receiving a direct response from the expert, Ms. Wang felt much more reassured about her upcoming medical journey to Shanghai.

It is reported that Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital has consistently adhered to its service philosophy of “patient-centered care,” striving to build a participatory system for the continuous improvement of patient experience, thereby leading the wave of development in patient experience and mobile healthcare across China. As of June 2020, the hospital had served over 400,000 patients nationwide through the Haodf Online platform, with online user visits reaching 320 million. It received more than 8,000 letters of appreciation from patients online, achieving a patient satisfaction rate of 99%.

Wan Xiaoping, President of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, stated that implementing the “Healthy China Mothers Initiative” requires mobilizing societal resources to create a synergistic force for health promotion. He expressed hope that collaboration between public hospitals and third-party internet healthcare platforms would better advance maternal health and contribute to overall population health.