Peking University First Hospital Dermatology Department Partners with Haodf Online to Expand Free Telemedicine Consultations During National Skin Care Day

From May 25 to 30, 2020, during the 14th “National Skin Care Day,” the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital, in collaboration with Haodf Online, conducted a six-day free online clinic.

“5.25 Skin Care Day” is a public welfare initiative launched by the Dermatologist Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, aiming to raise awareness about skin health. The Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital is the only National Clinical Research Center in the field of dermatology. It is also a key discipline and innovative team designated by the Ministry of Education, a national key clinical specialty under the National Health Commission, and a Beijing Key Laboratory.

As one of the founding organizations of the Dermatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital holds an annual public welfare event for Skin Care Day. Due to the pandemic this year, the on-site free clinic has been fully upgraded to an online format. In collaboration with Haodf Online, a leading internet healthcare platform in China, expert consultation services are being delivered to patients nationwide.

The free clinic featured multiple themes, including cosmetic dermatology, allergic skin diseases, atopic dermatitis, hair disorders, nail/toenail diseases, infectious skin diseases, psoriasis, and skin tumors.

A 4-year-old girl from Xinjiang has been suffering from vitiligo for three years. Due to the stubborn nature of her condition, she failed to achieve full recovery despite prolonged treatment, causing significant anxiety for her parents, who were eager to bring her to Beijing for skin transplantation. The free clinic initiative jointly organized by the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital and Haodf Online provided substantial assistance to the patient’s family.

Dr. Yang Shuxia is a dermatologic surgery specialist at Peking University First Hospital. In addition to her expertise in hair disorders and nail diseases, she is highly experienced in treating benign and malignant skin tumors as well as performing epidermal transplantation for vitiligo. Through an online free clinic service, the parents of a pediatric patient from Xinjiang were able to conveniently consult with Dr. Yang. After carefully reviewing the medical records, Dr. Yang recommended that the child’s vitiligo be managed primarily with phototherapy and medication, as epidermal transplantation requires local anesthesia and would be too painful for such a young child to tolerate. She suggested considering epidermal transplantation when the child is older and able to cooperate with the surgical procedure.

In response to parents’ questions regarding medication and phototherapy, Dr. Yang Shuxia provided highly detailed guidance, such as the selection of medications and phototherapy wavelengths, as well as their usage and dosages. Furthermore, Dr. Yang specifically advised parents against allowing children to be exposed to sunlight during the day, as natural sunlight may cause hair changes and has carcinogenic potential in vitiligo-affected areas; therefore, it is essential to apply sunscreen when going outdoors.

Meanwhile, addressing parents’ eagerness for a definitive cure, Dr. Yang Shuxia specifically emphasized that vitiligo is an immune-related condition. Since an individual’s immune status can fluctuate at any time, vitiligo may recur and cannot be completely cured. The most important task for parents is to identify unhealthy aspects in their child’s daily life, such as stress, anxiety, poor sleep, or frequent frights, as these factors are likely to cause immune imbalance and trigger vitiligo. Parents should help their children make appropriate adjustments. Additionally, parents themselves should avoid excessive anxiety, as negative psychological states can mutually influence one another.

"A single online consultation saved the family a journey of thousands of kilometers from Xinjiang to Beijing. Given that the child is not currently a suitable candidate for epidermal transplantation surgery, traveling to Beijing would likely have been a futile trip. The convenience of internet-based healthcare left this parent deeply impressed."

Similar cases were abundant during the free clinic period. As the only National Clinical Research Center for Dermatology in China, the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital bears the responsibility of leading innovative development in the discipline and enhancing patients’ healthcare experience. Professor Li Hang, Director of the Department, stated that through collaboration with Haodf.com, experts’ medical services can further expand their reach, benefiting more patients in need, while improving efficiency in pre-consultation communication and post-consultation management, thereby reducing frequent travel and disordered healthcare-seeking behavior.

Wang Hang, founder and CEO of Haodf.com, stated that the collaboration with the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital has effectively leveraged the hospital’s professional expertise and the operational strengths of the internet platform, significantly enhancing the impact of traditional free clinic services and generating greater social benefits. In future planning of the healthcare service system, cooperation between public hospitals and third-party internet healthcare platforms should be promoted to capitalize on their respective advantages, form an integrated industry chain, and jointly deliver high-quality medical services to society, thereby meeting the public’s evolving demands for healthcare services.