Top-Tier Beijing Doctors Launch Group Online Pro Bono Clinics via WeDoctor's Primary Care Platform to Tackle 'Access-to-Care' Challenges During Pandemic

Currently, the spread of the epidemic in Beijing has been contained, with a clear trend toward improvement, yet the prevention and control situation remains severe. Coinciding with the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Beijing Weiyi General Practice Clinic, as the first medical institution in Beijing approved for internet diagnosis and treatment qualifications, will leverage the “Beijing Weiyi General Practice Internet Diagnosis and Treatment Platform.” Starting from June 30, it will join forces with renowned experts from dominant specialties of over 60 Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Beijing to launch the “Beijing Grade-A Tertiary Hospital Famous Doctors ‘July 1st’ Online Public Welfare Free Clinic Activity.” This initiative aims to integrate high-quality medical resources in Beijing, capitalize on the advantages of “Internet + Healthcare,” alleviate difficulties faced by patients in Beijing and those traveling to Beijing for medical care, reduce the risk of cross-infection associated with offline visits, and support Beijing’s efforts in combating the epidemic.

During the preparation of this public welfare initiative, a large number of experts from medical institutions in Beijing responded. The first batch of experts to come online are all from the leading specialties of more than 60 Grade A tertiary hospitals in Beijing, including Xu Wenbing, Chief Physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital; Yang Tiesheng, Chief Physician of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Peking University People’s Hospital; and Yang Zhengqiang, Chief Physician at the National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Subsequently, these experts will form teams to provide free online consultations for patients across China, adopting a joint consultation model involving both general practitioners and specialists, primarily conducted via video, for a period of one month.

Starting June 30, users can search for the “Beijing Weiyi General Practice Clinic” official account and click on the “Free Consultations with Top Specialists from Beijing’s Tier-3 Grade-A Hospitals” submenu to access expert consultations and scientific guidance. Patients with complex or difficult-to-treat conditions can also apply for remote outpatient services provided by specialists. Meanwhile, for patients with common diseases and those requiring follow-up visits for chronic conditions, in addition to free online consultations and follow-ups, they can enjoy one-stop services including online prescription issuance and renewal, as well as medication delivery, facilitating orderly medical care and convenient access to medicines for citizens.

Professor Xu Wenbing from the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital was among the first batch of experts to come online. He told VCBeat that by opening up a “second battlefield” to combat the epidemic and serve patients via the internet, doctors could effectively manage their chronic disease patients during the critical period of epidemic prevention and control, screen for mild cases, and triage outpatients. This online service model has significantly expanded the reach and efficiency of physicians’ services, avoided the risk of cross-infection associated with in-person medical visits, and provided convenience to patients from outside Beijing, particularly those who wished to seek medical treatment in Beijing but were unable to do so.

According to the head of Beijing WeDoctor General Practice Clinic, since obtaining Beijing’s first “license” for internet-based medical consultations last year, Beijing WeDoctor General Practice has been committed to leveraging internet technologies to connect top-tier medical resources across China and internationally. It has established a digital healthcare service system integrating “online and offline services,” “general practice and specialty care,” and “physical bases and networked platforms,” providing one-stop healthcare services to users in Beijing and nationwide. Coinciding with the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and during a critical phase of Beijing’s epidemic prevention and control efforts, Beijing WeDoctor General Practice will continue to fully leverage its platform advantages, enabling Beijing residents to receive quality medical care without leaving home and allowing patients in other regions to consult Beijing-based specialists locally.

To enable more patients with urgent and appropriate needs to benefit from the convenience of online consultations, personalized services such as Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinics, insurance, and private physician programs will be launched concurrently. The Beijing Weiyi General Practice Internet Diagnosis and Treatment Platform calls on more medical experts in Beijing to join the online free clinic initiative, gathering “online” during this critical period of epidemic prevention and control, so that more patients can receive timely assistance.

It is reported that in early 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, WeDoctor rapidly launched the “Real-Time Assistance Platform for COVID-19,” providing users across China with free online consultations, psychological support, online follow-up visits, insurance-covered medication services, and public education on epidemic prevention. As of June 28, the platform had mobilized 62,000 doctors nationwide, delivering over 2.001 million free online consultation and diagnosis/treatment sessions. This initiative has been promoted globally as an innovative Chinese approach to combating the pandemic.