Lianren Health, Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and China Mobile Hubei Sign Agreement to Co-Build an 'Internet + Healthcare' Ecosystem Platform

On June 18, 2020, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as “Tongji Hospital”), LIANREN Digital Health (hereinafter referred to as “LIANREN Digital Health”), and China Mobile Group Hubei Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Hubei Mobile”) jointly held a cloud signing ceremony for the “International Teleconsultation Center and Internet Hospital Cooperation” via a three-party remote connection from Wuhan and Shanghai. Hu Jianping, Deputy Director of the Statistical Information Center of the National Health Commission, was invited to attend the ceremony and deliver remarks.

During his recent visits to several hospitals in Wuhan, Comrade Wang Zhonglin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee, pointed out the need to “accelerate efforts to address weaknesses in the public health service system and meet the people’s health needs.” This collaboration will fully leverage the respective strengths of the three parties, achieve rational allocation of medical resources, further expand the service reach of high-quality medical resources, and establish a regional internet healthcare hub with nationwide influence.

Cloud Signing Ceremony

Wang Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as well as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Tongji Hospital; Liao Jiazhi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tongji Hospital; Dai Zhong, Chairman and President of LIANREN Digital Health; Li Yunfei, Vice President of LIANREN Digital Health; Fan Bingheng, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman, and General Manager of China Mobile Hubei Branch; and Liu Yanyu, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Hubei Branch, attended the cloud signing ceremony respectively and jointly signed the cooperation agreement for the internet hospital.

Fan Bingheng, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Mobile Hubei Branch

Fan Bingheng, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China Mobile Hubei Branch, stated that China Mobile Hubei would fully leverage its 5G network advantages and the resource strengths of the Hubei 5G Industry Alliance to provide high-quality basic communication services—such as premium networks, standardized products, and cloud resources—for the operation of internet hospital platforms. By utilizing its own channels, industry advantages, and ecosystem partner resources, the company will assist and support platform promotion, helping the “Center” establish a regional foothold and expand globally.

Dai Zhong, Chairman and President of LIANREN Digital Health

Dai Zhong, Chairman and President of LIANREN Digital Health, stated that in the process of building and operating the “International Teleconsultation Center and Internet Hospital,” LIANREN Digital Health will leverage its operational advantages to establish a service model covering the entire diagnosis and treatment process, with online-offline integration and seamless connectivity between in-hospital and out-of-hospital care. This model will connect medical institutions and healthcare professionals at all levels within medical consortia and hospital alliances, ushering in a new paradigm for “Internet + Healthcare.”

Wang Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Tongji Hospital

In his address, Wang Wei, President of Tongji Hospital, stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tongji Hospital conducted 270,000 online consultations, including 90,000 for patients with fever. If all these patients had visited the hospital in person, it would have inevitably led to a higher rate of infection, further underscoring the importance of establishing internet hospitals. Moreover, the public has shown strong preference for online consultation services provided by internet hospitals. The tripartite collaboration to build this online medical platform is a concrete step toward delivering tangible benefits and practical services to the people.

Hu Jianping, Deputy Director of the Statistical Information Center of the National Health Commission, was invited to attend the meeting. He first extended his heartfelt congratulations on the successful signing of the tripartite agreement and pointed out that internet healthcare and medical informatization serve as highly effective tools for epidemic prevention and control, as well as for advancing public health initiatives. The state’s approval for the establishment of the National Center for Major Public Health Emergencies at Tongji Hospital affirms the hospital’s significant role in the fight against the pandemic. It also aims to learn from and summarize the experience gained during this epidemic response, thereby guiding nationwide medical treatment efforts for sudden major public health emergencies. LIANREN Digital Health, by responding to the national call and promoting the implementation of big data construction in healthcare, is facilitating a strategic shift toward national priorities and highlighting the role of new digital infrastructure. Advancing 5G network construction and providing high-quality network conditions are essential measures for implementing internet healthcare services, and the application of 5G technology indeed offers broad prospects for various application scenarios. Hubei Mobile possesses substantial technical advantages in network construction and wireless coverage. Therefore, the collaboration among the three parties, each leveraging their respective strengths, marks a promising start. It is certain to create a new business model and service ecosystem, achieving remarkable success in the future.

Tongji Hospital is one of the 44 hospitals directly affiliated with or administered by the National Health Commission. It is an innovative, modern hospital integrating medical care, teaching, and scientific research, characterized by comprehensive disciplines, a concentration of distinguished experts and renowned physicians, strong faculty resources, advanced medical technologies, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment equipment, robust research capabilities, and scientific management practices. During the pandemic, to reduce unnecessary crowd gatherings for medical visits and meet the healthcare needs of the public, particularly patients with chronic diseases, the Hubei Provincial Health Commission selected certain medical institutions to conduct internet-based medical services and officially approved Tongji Hospital to establish and operate an internet hospital.

With the support of LIANREN Digital Health and China Mobile Hubei Branch, Tongji Hospital’s Internet Hospital underwent rapid upgrades. Data shows that since the launch of its “Cloud Outpatient” service, Tongji Hospital has served over 270,000 patient visits and completed more than 70,000 medication deliveries within just four months. During the pandemic, internet-based diagnosis and treatment services effectively extended offline medical resources to online platforms, playing a significant role in epidemic prevention and control efforts, while also laying a solid foundation for the future development of internet hospitals.

Meanwhile, Tongji Hospital has established an International Teleconsultation Center, which will work in synergy with its existing Internet Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Internet Diagnostic Center, and Remote Training Center to empower the collaborative healthcare service system under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). By expanding the adoption of its open cloud platform among numerous hospitals along the BRI routes, the hospital aims to improve health and hygiene standards in these countries and strengthen medical support capabilities for Chinese overseas institutions and enterprises.

LIANREN Digital Health is a national-level team in the field of health and medical big data, established under the initiative and guidance of the National Health Commission, with central state-owned enterprises taking the lead and participation from local governments and financial institutions. Closely aligning with the national strategic deployment for health and medical big data, LIANREN Digital Health has extensive experience in the “Internet + Healthcare” sector. In future collaborations, LIANREN Digital Health will build an open cloud platform for Tongji Hospital, encompassing a public service platform, professional service platform, management decision-making platform, operational management platform, and technical management platform. This cloud platform offers convenient access, immediate usability upon account creation, and ease of maintenance. Featuring a microservices architecture and multi-portal technology, it provides comprehensive business and management functionalities to meet users’ personalized needs and the hospital’s operational requirements.

The three parties will jointly establish a Joint Operations Center and deploy a dedicated operations service team to provide organizational and managerial support for the construction and business operations of the Open Cloud Platform. They will expand and introduce ecosystem service partners, including pharmaceutical distribution, health insurance, health monitoring, wearable devices, health management services, and financial services, to build a medical ecosystem centered on Tongji Hospital. This initiative aims to extend the scope of upstream and downstream services and promote the development of the hospital’s core businesses.

Following the signing of the agreement, LIANREN Digital Health, Tongji Hospital, and China Mobile Hubei Branch will collaborate closely to jointly build a national-level internet hospital operation project. This initiative aims to enhance comprehensive medical service capabilities, informatization management standards, and technological proficiency in the internet healthcare sector, thereby promoting the development of smart healthcare and contributing to the advancement of AI-driven healthcare as well as the health and well-being of the public.