Shandong Completes Provincial Internet Medical Service Regulatory Platform with 35 Hospitals Registered as Internet Hospitals

Yesterday, a press conference was held at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, moderated by Liu Zhefeng, Director of the News and Network Division of the Publicity Department of the National Health Commission. Participating officials included Mao Qunan, Director of the Planning, Development and Informatization Department of the National Health Commission; Xi Yan, Director of the Shandong Provincial Health Commission; Sui Zhenhua, Director of the Qingdao Municipal Health Commission; Dong Qian, President of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University; and Lyu Yongtao, President of the Third Provincial Hospital of Shandong.

This marks the first showcase of achievements since the General Office of the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet + Healthcare’” in April 2018. It outlines the current state of “Internet + Healthcare” development in China and highlights how these changes have enhanced the public’s sense of health-related well-being. Special emphasis is placed on Shandong Province’s experience in advancing “Internet + Healthcare.”

So, what achievements have been made in the construction of “Internet + Healthcare” in Shandong Province? What measures have been taken by the government, hospitals, and enterprises, respectively? What are the future plans? VCBeat provides an analysis.

Physical hospitals have long grappled with challenges in patient care and access. Dong Qian hopes to leverage “Internet+” solutions to help address these five major difficulties facing hospitals.

1. Addressing the difficulty of appointment registration.In 2013, a unified appointment scheduling pool was established, and various online and offline convenient services were gradually introduced, including time-slot-based self-service kiosk appointments, online appointments, telephone appointments, mobile phone appointments, and community-based appointments. Patients who make an online appointment can proceed directly to the designated consultation room for waiting. To date, 90% of appointment slots are available for online booking, with an appointment rate exceeding 80%.

Second, address the difficulty in making payments.Provide patients with multiple payment options, including self-service kiosks, point-of-care billing, ward-side (bedside) settlement, and mobile terminal payments, to eliminate the need for repeated queuing during examinations, tests, and medication pickup. For emergency patients, implement a "triage first, registration later" model to establish a green channel for life-saving interventions.

Third, addressing the difficulty of conducting examinations.Outpatient physicians can directly schedule ultrasound, radiology, and other examinations during consultations. Patients should proceed to the relevant examination departments at their scheduled times. Upon arrival, patients can complete self-registration by swiping their cards and then wait for their number to be called. Examination reports are delivered via SMS notifications, with additional options available through WeChat and Alipay push notifications, as well as printing at self-service kiosks. Currently, the hospital is implementing a “Cloud Film” service, enabling patients to download electronic images on their mobile devices.

Fourth, addressing the difficulty of hospital admission.The Inpatient Preparation Center was established in 2014 to centrally manage bed reservations and pre-admission examinations, among other services, thereby achieving a one-stop, transparent hospitalization process. Wall-mounted self-service kiosks have been installed in ward areas to provide patients with services such as deposit top-ups, daily bill inquiries, and satisfaction surveys.

5. Establish a comprehensive emergency medical services system.Stroke Center, Chest Pain Center, and Trauma Center have been established. Patient vital sign information from the 120 emergency stations and ambulances is transmitted in real time to the emergency department via the pre-hospital system, effectively saving critical time for resuscitation.

Since the General Office of the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet + Healthcare’” in April last year, this initiative has drawn significant attention from all sectors of society. On one hand, the National Health Commission, in coordination with relevant departments, has formulated and rolled out supporting policies to facilitate detailed local implementation and actively support pilot programs.

On the other hand, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the “Internet + Healthcare” initiative. During the second group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to promote “Internet + Education,” “Internet + Healthcare,” and other initiatives, so that citizens need to make fewer trips while data flows more extensively, thereby continuously enhancing the equality, inclusiveness, and convenience of public services.

It was also emphasized at this year’s Two Sessions that we should promote “Internet + Healthcare,” “+ Elderly Care and Child Assistance,” and “+ Education,” so that families and children in remote areas and rural communities can access high-quality medical and health services through the internet.

Mao Qunan stated that, generally speaking, Mondays are the busiest days for patient visits at major hospitals. However, during our visit to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, we did not observe the long queues previously common at large hospitals. At a large-scale institution like the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, the outpatient hall offers a very comfortable atmosphere. This is the effect brought about by “Internet + Healthcare” services, which have changed the public’s experience of seeking medical care compared with the past.

Xi Yan believes that “Internet + Healthcare” has indeed brought benefits to users, making medical services more comprehensive. Taking cloud-based emergency care as an example, the “Cloud Emergency Coordination and Command System” is one of the 30 practical initiatives launched in the 100-Day Campaign. The goal is to innovate emergency care models based on the “Internet +” framework by connecting all 120 emergency centers across the province’s 16 cities to a provincial platform, thereby achieving information sharing and collaborative interaction, shortening response times, and improving resuscitation success rates.

Compared with traditional first aid, cloud-based first aid has the following four characteristics:

First, traditional emergency response via phone calls cannot accurately and promptly obtain geographic locations. In contrast, the current cloud-based emergency system with one-touch alarm can automatically provide accurate real-time spatial location, significantly reducing dispatch time;

Second, under traditional methods, patient emergency records are maintained in paper format. In contrast, modern cloud-based emergency services enable the automatic generation of electronic medical records through mobile phone input. Key information such as the patient’s age, blood type, commonly used medications, and chronic conditions can be automatically shared in real time among various institutions within the emergency care network.

Third, under traditional models, information regarding the emergency scene and the patient’s condition cannot be obtained in a timely manner. Modern cloud-based emergency services can automatically share real-time data on the patient’s condition and resuscitation measures via image and video functions. Furthermore, remote consultations can be initiated from the ambulance, enabling network hospitals to prepare for resuscitation efforts in a timely manner and provide guidance for treatment during transit.

Fourth, according to international practice, the absence of bystanders with basic first-aid skills to provide timely assistance significantly reduces the success rate of patient resuscitation. This year, Shandong Province established its province-wide Cloud First Aid volunteer service team for the first time, with a volunteer base reaching 29,000.

When a patient triggers an alarm, cloud-based first aid volunteers within a 1-kilometer radius can automatically obtain the patient’s location information and rapidly arrive at the scene to provide rescue, thereby gaining precious time for saving lives.

Overall, the existing cloud-based emergency response system has established a novel “five-screen linkage” service model across the province, connecting residents in distress, 120 emergency command centers, volunteers, ambulances, and networked emergency hospitals. This model creates an information closed loop between pre-hospital emergency care and in-hospital treatment. By automatically sharing patients’ basic emergency records and clinical information in real time, it maximizes time savings at every stage of rescue, improves survival rates, and weaves a compassionate safety net for emergency patients.

“The Internet + Healthcare” initiative aims to build public trust, but it also requires the participation of various stakeholders, such as hospitals, enterprises, government agencies, and local health and family planning commissions.

On the government side, Shandong Province has established a provincial-level regulatory platform for internet-based medical services. Currently, five other provinces—Zhejiang, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region—have also completed the construction of their respective provincial-level regulatory platforms for internet-based medical services.

According to Xi Yan, “Internet + Healthcare” is an emerging initiative. Whether this new model can truly deliver tangible, satisfying benefits to the public in accordance with national requirements hinges critically on effective regulation. In Shandong Province, regulatory oversight of “Internet + Healthcare” primarily focuses on the following key areas:

First, strengthen regulation at the source.The establishment of internet hospitals is subject to access requirements. Currently, internet hospitals must be established on the basis of physical hospitals to ensure they possess the genuine medical service conditions necessary for providing care to the public. “Internet + Healthcare” services are also an extension built upon physical hospitals, expanding the scope of services through the internet to make healthcare more accessible and convenient for the public.

Second, supervise the entire process.“Internet + Healthcare” involves numerous stages and service processes, necessitating regulatory oversight of online medical consultation services. For instance, it is essential to assess whether the pricing of online consultations is appropriate and whether the services provided comply with relevant standards for medical care.

Regarding these issues,First, Shandong took the lead nationwide in launching a provincial supervision platform for internet medical services, implementing joint oversight of internet hospitals together with the registration authorities., it can provide registration and filing services, supervision and management services, and dynamic monitoring services to competent authorities at all levels, medical and health service institutions or platforms, and medical and health service personnel. Currently, the regulatory platform has played a very positive role, enabling comprehensive oversight of internet hospitals and “Internet + Medical Health” initiatives.

Secondly, explore the establishment of standards and pathways for "Internet + Healthcare.", guide internet hospitals within the province in formulating construction plans, operational manuals, and other regulatory frameworks; preliminarily draft the first batch of diagnostic and therapeutic services and fee policies for internet hospitals, while actively engaging in further communication with relevant departments to gradually improve the supporting policy framework for “Internet + Healthcare.”

Finally, ensure that internet hospitals provide diagnosis and treatment services by relying on offline physical hospitals and achieving an organic integration of online and offline operations.

Third, regulate the outcomes of “Internet + Healthcare”.It is crucial to determine whether each service and technological innovation meets public satisfaction, and whether our medical technologies truly benefit households across the nation. Many internet hospitals and “Internet + Healthcare” diagnostic and treatment services have incorporated patient satisfaction evaluation components to assess whether we are genuinely addressing the public’s needs in the course of service delivery.

Even so, Xi Yan acknowledged that, as “Internet + Healthcare” and internet hospitals are emerging phenomena, certain issues have been identified during the regulatory process. For instance, there is an insufficient number of service providers; currently, the “Internet + Emergency Care” initiative has only more than 30,000 volunteers. “Moving forward, we will strengthen policy outreach and mobilize healthcare professionals, as well as individuals who have obtained relevant qualifications through training, to join the volunteer service team.”

In summary, how to evaluate the effectiveness of “Internet + Healthcare,” determine pricing, and achieve comprehensive integration with medical insurance authorities to truly realize interconnectivity across all resource dimensions requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders. Only through such collaboration can “Internet + Healthcare” genuinely serve as a catalyst for the reform and development of the healthcare system.

In Qingdao, Director Sui Zhenhua introduced the development of “Internet + Healthcare” and related convenient and beneficial services in the city. Currently, three hospitals have obtained licenses for internet hospitals, and 63 medical institutions recognize mutual laboratory test results under the “One-Report Mutual Recognition” initiative. Supported by information technology, the “One-Time Completion” convenience campaign has enabled online reimbursement for blood fees and online processing of inpatient medical record copies, thereby improving patients’ healthcare experience.

He highlighted efforts made in three key areas:

1. Continuously improve the patient experience and create a comfortable and convenient healthcare environment.A regional all-in-one medical service platform and the Huiyi APP have been established, with 5.85 million residents issued regional medical cards free of charge, enabling them to access one-card medical services at hospitals affiliated with the Health Commission and selected district- and city-level hospitals.

By entering their information before seeking medical care, the public can receive system-recommended details on hospitals and physicians. Appointments for outpatient services at 23 hospitals can be booked via the website, the Huiyi APP, or WeChat official accounts. The city records 518,000 appointment-based patient visits per month. Patients can also view their test and examination results online, eliminating the need to wait in line.

Multiple payment methods, such as medical treatment cards and Alipay, along with various settlement options including self-service kiosks and point-of-care billing, are provided. Patients can settle their medical expenses at any stage of the consultation process, ensuring convenience and efficiency.

Over 1,000 self-service kiosks have been deployed citywide, equivalent to adding more than 1,000 comprehensive manual service counters. The average dwell time for a single visit has been reduced from 3 hours to 45 minutes for patients with appointments, and from 3 hours to 2 hours for those without. The average number of repeat queueing instances has decreased from 5 to 2. More than 100 manual service counters have been removed, representing a 75% reduction, which lowers annual hospital operating costs by approximately RMB 50 million.

This year, he also launched the electronic health card, enabling patients to complete medical consultations simply by scanning a QR code. This has truly realized “registration via QR code and seamless healthcare access with a single code,” further streamlining the patient journey.

2. Innovate grassroots service models to provide considerate health management services.Established the Qingdao Family Doctor Contract Service System, implemented one-stop diagnosis and treatment services at the primary care level, achieved the “integration of three appointments,” and promoted interconnectivity and interaction among medical institutions, family doctors, and contracted residents.

Supported by information technology, the family doctor service model of “joint management of three highs” and “three-level coordination” has been implemented. By benchmarking health indicators of patients under management for hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia, automatic stratification is performed to intelligently schedule annual service plans. Seven essential medications are provided free of charge to patients, promoting a shift in primary care from “passive, clinic-based practice” to “proactive, community-oriented services.”

In 2018, the city established 1,662 standardized family doctor teams, with contracted services covering a population of 3.05 million. We also facilitated green referral channels between different levels of care and enabled medical data sharing, thereby achieving shared access to patient diagnosis and treatment information and advancing the implementation of the tiered diagnosis and treatment policy.

3. Vigorously develop telemedicine to extend high-quality medical resources to the grassroots level.Actively promote the establishment of remote diagnostic centers for electrocardiography (ECG), medical imaging, and other services. Primary care facilities submit ECG and imaging examinations to these remote diagnostic centers, which then return the diagnostic results to the primary care level, thereby addressing the issue of limited diagnostic capacity at the grassroots level.

Currently, the city has established 23 remote consultation centers and six remote medical imaging centers, connecting 538 medical institutions and sharing the services of district-level hospital sterilization supply centers and clinical laboratories with primary care facilities. Last year, the city provided a cumulative total of 44,861 remote services, with centralized services exceeding 200,000 instances. The remote service network not only connects with renowned domestic and international medical institutions such as Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute but also extends to village clinics. Notably, the remote electrocardiogram (ECG) network in Laoshan District’s village clinics identified and treated more than 40 patients with critical conditions, demonstrating significant effectiveness.

In recent years, he has also introduced artificial intelligence to build smart hospitals.and jointly developed a computer-assisted surgical system with Hisense Group, which received national support under the 12th Five-Year Plan for Science and Technology and has been deployed in over 100 hospitals.

In the Department of Radiology, an intelligent image analysis system has been implemented to conduct screening and assist in the diagnosis of diseases such as pulmonary nodules and tumors, esophageal cancer, and cervical cancer. In particular, the intelligent imaging diagnostic system for pulmonary nodules has effectively improved physicians' work efficiency. Additionally, an intelligent voice entry system has been deployed in the Department of Radiology, with each reporting physician equipped with a dedicated voice input device, achieving a speech recognition rate of over 98%.

The hospital is currently piloting an intelligent medical record quality control system and a clinical knowledge base system, making new attempts to continuously improve the quality of medical records and clinical care. He stated that smart healthcare and patient-friendly services are an ongoing endeavor. Moving forward, efforts will be further intensified to enhance patient satisfaction with medical consultations and overall health experiences.

On the hospital side, Dong Qian stated that in February 2017, our hospital established Shandong Province’s first internet hospital; in November 2018, it received formal approval from the Provincial Health Commission, becoming one of the first three hospitals in Shandong Province qualified to provide internet-based diagnosis and treatment services. An integrated telemedicine model combining video consultations with text-and-image consultations was developed, offering convenient medical access for follow-up patients.

In August 2018, we established a tiered diagnosis and treatment platform that leverages the Qingdao Health Private Network to share patient medical records and facilitate community-based referral services. Patients from 11 community hospitals in Shibei District, Qingdao, can access appointment scheduling and referral services through this platform.

He first expressed gratitude to the Shandong Provincial Health Commission for its recognition of our hospital’s internet-based diagnosis and treatment services. The Hospital Party Committee and administrative leadership have attached great importance to this initiative. Under the guidance of the Provincial Health Commission’s “100-Day Campaign for Convenient and Beneficial ‘Internet + Medical Health’ Services,” we established a working leadership group headed by the Hospital President, formulated a detailed implementation plan, and upheld the service philosophy of “letting information do the running so patients need not.” Extensive mobilization and comprehensive promotion were carried out throughout the hospital.

In terms of operational implementation, the hospital has established standards for internet-based diagnosis and treatment services, optimized service workflows, strengthened training and assessment of medical personnel, improved regulatory mechanisms for internet-based diagnosis and treatment, and gradually expanded the range of specialties and the team of experts available through these services.

After nearly 100 days of continuous efforts, and with the dedication of all staff members, our hospital has established an internet-based medical consultation model featuring “centralized video consultations + decentralized video consultations + mobile text-and-image consultations.” Physicians can provide follow-up patients with services such as condition consultations and appointments for laboratory tests and examinations through the hospital’s mobile internet healthcare client.

The hospital has also equipped most clinical departments with internet-based video consultation workstations, providing a range of services for follow-up patients, including video consultations, online appointment scheduling and result inquiry for laboratory and imaging tests, e-prescriptions, chronic disease follow-up, medication delivery, and mailing of copied medical records. Our hospital will continue to optimize physical healthcare processes, steadily advance internet-based diagnosis and treatment services, and build a smart hospital that combines human-centered care with convenience.

Shandong Provincial Third Hospital has made significant efforts in exploring the “Internet + Medical Consortium” model. It is also a pilot unit for internet healthcare in Shandong Province and among the first batch of hospitals to obtain internet healthcare qualifications.

According to Lü Yongtao, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital has advanced its “Internet + Healthcare” initiatives by following the strategic framework of “establishing one mindset, building four teams, and instituting five mechanisms.”To this end, he elaborated on the work conducted in the field of “Internet + Medical Consortium.” The Internet-based medical consortium of Shandong Provincial Third Hospital is led by our hospital and comprises 49 medical institutions at various levels—including secondary hospitals, university infirmaries, community health service centers, and township health centers—as well as an Internet-based specialist alliance for stone diseases.

“Adhering to the internet healthcare philosophy of ‘openness, collaboration, sharing, and innovation,’ we have built an internet healthcare bridge connecting hospitals and physicians, patients and residents, pharmaceutical companies, insurance enterprises, elderly care institutions, and higher education institutions,” stated Lu Yongtao. An internet hospital supported by a family doctor contracting platform and a medical consortium platform has been established. Four teams—management, operations, technology, and clinical—have been formed to advance convenient and beneficial internet healthcare services through improvements in institutional frameworks, operational mechanisms, information security, and medical service delivery. To date, the internet healthcare initiatives have benefited 61,000 individuals.

So, how does Shandong Provincial Hospital’s “Internet-based Medical Consortium” operate? Lu Yongtao mentioned that the focus is on the following five aspects:

In accordance with the requirements of the Provincial Health Commission, we have conducted pilot initiatives in five areas of internet healthcare: “support and assurance, standards and norms, behavioral regulation, service content, and operational mechanisms.”

First, a leadership group for the Internet Hospital was established.Established a dedicated Smart Healthcare Department to oversee internet healthcare operations, formed a team of online physicians, and made every effort to advance internet-based medical services.

Second, it has established personnel responsibilities, work processes, service standards and specifications, as well as online medical quality and safety systems and procedures for internet hospitals, thereby ensuring that internet-based medical services are conducted in accordance with established regulations.

Third, by strengthening oversight across the pre-consultation, consultation, and post-consultation phases, full-process supervision of internet-based medical practices has been achieved.

Fourth, continuously expand service offerings, strengthen the foundation of tiered diagnosis and treatment, and enhance patients’ sense of gain.

Fifth, establish operational mechanisms in six areas: responsibility allocation, decision implementation, quality control and supervision, operational promotion, performance assessment and incentives, and multi-party collaboration, to foster an internet healthcare culture across the entire hospital and ensure the sustained and healthy development of internet healthcare.

Currently, the effectiveness of Shandong Provincial Third Hospital’s “Internet-based Medical Consortium” is becoming evident. Lü Yongtao highlighted the following key areas:

First, family doctor services are effectively implemented.We have designed 197 personalized service packages, enrolled 22,000 community residents, and strengthened the implementation of family doctor contracting services.

Second, Internet Plus chronic disease management services have demonstrated effectiveness.Established an online multidisciplinary team (MDT) for chronic disease management, designed 23 specialized membership service packages, and provided internet-based MDT diagnosis and treatment services to 5,822 patients with diabetes within the medical consortium.

3. Explore new models of "Internet + Medical Consortiums."Spearheaded the establishment of the province’s first internet-based medical and pharmaceutical consortium, enabling follow-up patients to obtain online prescriptions, make digital payments, and have medications delivered to their homes or available for pickup at nearby pharmacies.

Fourth, the scope of services provided by medical consortiums has been expanded.Established internet-based medical consortiums with university hospitals; jointly built “Shandong Province’s First On-Site Cyber Hospital” with China Construction Eighth Engineering Division; provided health services for migrant workers, established an internet-based specialty alliance for urolithiasis, and promoted the development of internet-based medical consortiums toward specialized care.

5. The integrated development of new business models in “Internet+” medical services.Established a commercial health insurance payment platform, offering expedited claims settlement and direct billing services; deployed AI-assisted diagnostic applications for pulmonary nodules and bone age assessment.

Sixth, the “100-Day Campaign” benefits the public.Be the first to integrate with “Shandong Medical Health Connect,” enabling online access to family doctor contract service data; participate in the province-wide “One-Test Pass” initiative for mutual recognition and sharing of laboratory test results within medical consortiums; optimize clinical workflows by prioritizing elderly patients and mailing discharge medical records to their homes; provide online physician consultations with AI-powered navigation.

Next, Lu Yongtao stated that we will further explore new models of “Internet + Healthcare,” strengthen collaboration among medical institutions, research entities, and enterprises, actively promote the use of electronic health cards for residents, and achieve interoperability and sharing of medical information between online and offline platforms. We will fully leverage the role of pilot hospitals to vigorously advance internet-based healthcare services across the province, thereby establishing an internet healthcare service model with distinctive Shandong characteristics.

As leading representatives in the development and construction of internet hospitals in Shandong Province, and among the first medical institutions in the province to obtain practicing qualifications for internet hospitals, both The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Shandong Provincial Third Hospital are deep partners of WeDoctor in the “Internet+” sector. They have demonstrated outstanding performance, particularly in the construction and operation of tiered diagnosis and treatment platforms and internet hospitals. This is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

First, in early 2018, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and WeDoctor Wuzhen Internet Hospital jointly established Lingshan Island as a designated poverty-alleviation unit for the Intelligent Medical Center., leveraging technical solutions such as remote consultations and remote electrocardiography (ECG) via internet hospitals to empower primary healthcare institutions;

Second, as the leading institution of a medical consortium comprising 49 medical institutions at various levels and types, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital has partnered with WeDoctor to jointly build and operate an internet hospital, the medical consortium, and a family doctor contract service platform, benefiting 61,000 people.

Lü Yongtao specifically pointed out that the hospital places particular emphasis on building a long-term operational mechanism for its internet hospital, “establishing operational mechanisms in six areas—responsibility allocation, decision-making and implementation, quality control and supervision, operations and promotion, performance assessment and incentives, and multi-party collaboration—to foster an internet healthcare culture across the entire institution and ensure the sustained and healthy development of internet healthcare.”

At its launch, the Internet Hospital of Shandong Provincial Third Hospital established a joint operations team comprising hospital staff and WeDoctor members. The team conducts basic operational activities in accordance with the hospital’s internet-based diagnosis and treatment regulations and incentive policies. It also provides specialized, end-to-end out-of-hospital management for discharged patients, ensuring seamless integration with in-hospital services in terms of service content and clinical data. This has resulted in a disease management model that covers the entire care continuum while maintaining controllable costs and quality.

As a pioneer in the internet healthcare industry, WeDoctor has established a presence across the medical care, pharmaceutical, and health insurance sectors. Leveraging its prior operational experience in “Internet + Healthcare,” WeDoctor will use chronic disease management as a strategic entry point to promote the integration of medical care, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance services. This integration encompasses end-to-end chronic disease management, hybrid payment models, and coordinated drug supply chains. By doing so, WeDoctor aims to assist local governments in implementing the “Three-Medical Linkage” reform and building a value-based healthcare system centered on health.

When sharing insights on Shandong Province’s implementation of the national “Internet + Healthcare” policies designed to benefit and facilitate access for the public, Xi Yan primarily integrated the three-year action plan titled “Dual Naming, Dual Improvement, and Dual Satisfaction.” She proposed a work strategy that leveraged the branding of “Internet + Healthcare” smart services as a key driver, designated medical institutions at all levels as the main arena for implementation, and aimed to achieve the ultimate goal of providing convenient and beneficial services to the public. By centrally launching the “Internet + Healthcare” 100-Day Campaign, the province prioritized addressing needs closely related to urban and rural residents’ medical consultations and health services within a 100-day period, yielding positive results.

The main approach consists of three steps:

First, comprehensively review the facts.In implementation, we focus both on addressing immediate issues by selecting 30 practical initiatives with “small entry points and quick results” to ensure rapid rollout and public benefit, and on taking a long-term, holistic approach to steadily advance supporting policies, infrastructure, service measures, and standardized management for “Internet + Healthcare.”

Second, mobilize and deploy all personnel.Convened province-wide video conferences to launch the “100-Day Campaign” and to advance the reporting and sharing of health examination information, along with other thematic meetings. Subsequently issued more than 10 documents clarifying the campaign’s scope, implementation measures, and target requirements, and formulated work allocation plans, implementation checklists, and publicity plans.

Third, coordinated promotion by the entire commission.A working mechanism has been established, featuring coordinated promotion by a special task force, division of responsibilities among operational departments, technical support from the Information Center, and advisory services from an expert team, thereby integrating favorable resources from all parties to form a synergistic force for advancement.

Fourth, conduct comprehensive tracking and evaluation.Developed a province-wide survey and assessment system for the “100-Day Campaign,” which schedules monthly updates on the latest work progress from all cities, districts and counties, and over 590 medical and health institutions, enabling timely mastery of the overall provincial progress to ensure effective implementation.

After 100 days of intensive efforts, the 30 practical initiatives have been fully rolled out, and the objectives of the 100-Day Campaign have been largely achieved. Significant progress has been made in the following 10 areas.

(1) Accelerating and enhancing the efficiency of emergency medical treatment.Developed the "Shandong Medical Health Connect" service platform, which integrates the "120" emergency dispatch and command systems of emergency centers across all cities, establishing a new "five-screen linkage" emergency response model. This enables one-touch emergency alerts and automatic patient localization, significantly reducing ambulance arrival times. Vigorously promoted the construction of municipal stroke centers, with 14 cities having mapped and publicly released emergency stroke center maps.

(II) Basic coverage of telemedicine.A provincial telemedicine service supervision platform has been initially established. Telemedicine centers have been built at the provincial level and in 10 cities, while telemedical imaging and pathology diagnosis centers have been set up at the provincial level and in 7 cities. Full coverage of telemedicine at county-level nodes has been basically achieved, with 102 counties (cities, districts) implementing two-tier telemedicine services at the county and township levels, thereby providing strong support for “grassroots examination and superior-level diagnosis.”

(3) Mutual recognition and sharing of medical examination results.A data-sharing platform for pre-employment and pre-enrollment medical examinations of college graduates has been established. The provincial platform has received 9.953 million medical examination reports, which will gradually resolve the issue of redundant repeated medical examinations for fresh college graduates during the employment and enrollment processes.

(4) Delivery services are becoming increasingly widespread.306 hospitals providing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services offer concurrent herbal decoction and delivery services. 154 hospitals leverage their websites, WeChat, and mobile apps to provide online appointment scheduling for inpatient medical record copying and logistics delivery, enabling patients to obtain copies of their medical records without needing to make any physical visits.

(5) Comprehensive rollout of online payment.474 hospitals offer “one-stop” mobile online payment via more than four channels, including UnionPay, electronic health cards, WeChat, and Alipay, with public hospitals at secondary level or above accounting for 82.43% of the total.

(6) Mutual recognition of laboratory test results.777 hospitals have passed quality control by provincial clinical laboratory centers for their inspection and test results, implementing a "single report recognition" system. Additionally, 289 hospitals have enabled online automatic inquiry of inspection and test results through apps, WeChat, and other platforms.

(7) Universal promotion of multi-card compatibility.362 hospitals have enabled cross-use of multiple cards, including ID cards, social security cards, and electronic health cards; 351 hospitals have implemented real-name registration for medical visits, with 95% of provincially administered tertiary hospitals achieving this. 446 hospitals provide self-service options, and 330 hospitals have deployed intelligent patient guidance and triage systems covering key service areas. 353 hospitals have established a unified appointment scheduling pool across their entire institutions, and 245 hospitals offer online appointment booking within medical alliances and medical consortia.

(8) Accelerated promotion of internet-based medical consultations.A total of 35 hospitals have completed registration for internet hospitals, 53 hospitals have launched online diagnosis and treatment services, 22 hospitals have implemented online prescription review, and 79 hospitals have achieved offline drug delivery. A renowned physician alliance has been established, enabling 543 experts to provide medical services through channels such as mobile apps, websites, and WeChat official accounts.

(9) Online Inquiry of Health Records.Electronic health records have been established for 10 million primary and secondary school students, with targeted health guidance provided. Online access to health records within the county has been realized in 99 counties (cities, districts), enabling residents to truly embrace the concept of “Managing My Own Health.”

(10) Blood use reimbursement without leaving home.Provincial and 13 municipal blood centers can process reimbursement of blood usage fees for unpaid blood donors through multiple channels, including the Provincial Blood Usage Reimbursement Approval Platform, municipal WeChat official accounts, and the Government Service Network, thereby achieving “zero visits” for donors and related beneficiaries when claiming blood fee reimbursements.

Since the issuance of the “Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet + Medical Health’,” social response has been positive, with expectations for swift implementation. The National Health Commission has attached great importance to this initiative, relevant departments have provided active support, and many localities have taken rapid action.This initiative demonstrates strong momentum, with new models and formats of “Internet + Healthcare” services emerging and flourishing across various regions, such as cloud-based emergency care services. By leveraging internet technologies to connect hospitals with patients—particularly through the active exploration and practical implementation by medical institutions at all levels—significant efforts have been made to facilitate public access to medical care and enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. These endeavors have yielded remarkable results and played a pivotal role.

“However, objectively speaking, ‘Internet + Healthcare’ is still an emerging concept. It has been only one year since the General Office of the State Council issued Document No. 26, and many initiatives are still in the process of implementation. Moving forward, we will uphold the spirit of perseverance to continue implementing the tasks and requirements set forth in the Guidelines, focusing on the sustained and integrated development of the ‘Internet + Healthcare’ sector,” said Mao Qunan.

To this end, he highlighted the following four aspects:

First, strengthen organizational supervision.We are making concerted efforts to achieve the “hard targets” of ensuring that hospitals at Level II and above universally provide online services, and that tertiary hospitals achieve internal interoperability and sharing of information. As is well known, Ma Xiaowei, Director and Party Secretary of the National Health Commission, stated during this year’s Two Sessions Ministerial Corridor that we will collaborate with relevant departments to study and refine pricing policies for “Internet+” healthcare services. Building on local pilot initiatives, we will work with concerned authorities to advance the issuance and implementation of these policies.

Second, deepen people-benefiting applications.Building on the implementation of 10 service initiatives and 30 measures last year, we urged and guided localities and medical institutions to further refine and implement convenience and benefit measures for the public. We promoted full coverage of telemedicine, accelerated the popularization and integrated application of electronic health cards, and continuously advanced IT-enabled support for poverty alleviation through healthcare.

Third, improve the support system.Accelerate the establishment and improvement of a unified, authoritative, and interconnected national health information platform; advance “hard constraints” in key areas and priority tasks for informatization standards; and continue to promote key initiatives such as the construction of dedicated networks for telemedicine and the guaranteed allocation of medical equipment in regional central hospitals.

Fourth, firmly establish the regulatory baseline.Accelerate the development of the “Internet + Healthcare” regulatory platform, solidify the responsibilities of third-party institutions, strengthen information security safeguards, and ensure adherence to medical principles with a focus on healthcare quality and safety.

Fifth, launch pilot demonstration programs.Guided by the principles of encouraging innovation and adopting an inclusive yet prudent approach, and building upon the provincial-ministerial co-construction demonstration zones established with Ningxia, relevant provinces are encouraged to diligently carry out pilot demonstrations, pursue bold innovations, and engage in pioneering explorations. Timely summarization and promotion of beneficial experiences should be undertaken to expedite the formation of a new, integrated national pattern for informatization that facilitates and benefits the public.

“In summary, we will continue to advance the implementation and effectiveness of the tasks outlined in the ‘Opinions,’ improve and refine supporting policy mechanisms, promote standardized regulation, and further drive the deep integration and development of the internet with healthcare. This will make hospital visits more convenient and satisfactory for the public, continuously enhancing the sense of gain among the broad masses of people,” said Mao Qun’an.

Xi Yan stated that Shandong Province will build on the 100-Day Campaign, leveraging its initiative to establish itself as a national demonstration province for “Internet + Healthcare.” By integrating resources from all sectors and advancing efforts with full commitment and efficiency, the province aims to implement more convenient and beneficial “Internet + Healthcare” measures. This will position the internet as a powerful catalyst for the high-quality development of health services, enhancing the public’s sense of gain and well-being.

In Mao Qun’an’s view, the three key strategies behind Shandong Province’s strong performance are primarily the following three aspects:

First, vigorously advance the deployment of publicity and implementation efforts.Participated in the State Council’s regular policy briefing sessions, promptly released policy interpretations, organized training courses and press conferences, strengthened public outreach, proactively addressed societal concerns, promoted and disseminated best practices, and built social consensus. A series of supporting policies were intensively issued, including administrative measures for internet-based diagnosis and treatment, internet hospitals, telemedicine services, and health and medical big data standards. Meanwhile, ten convenient and beneficial “Internet + Healthcare” services comprising 30 specific measures were proposed to effectively address issues of public concern. Dedicated teams were dispatched to various regions for research and guidance to promote detailed implementation, with multiple provinces subsequently issuing specific implementation documents to enforce the “Opinions.”

Second, continuously improve the support and guarantee system.Accelerate the implementation of Phase I of the National Health Informationization Project, strengthen the development of the national platform for population health information, and actively promote the construction of provincial-level integrated platforms. According to our preliminary statistics, 6,376 public hospitals at secondary level and above have been connected to regional population health information platforms, and 1,273 tertiary hospitals have initially achieved interoperability and sharing of medical service information within their institutions. As demonstrated here at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, big data technologies facilitate internal information connectivity and interoperability. Twenty-eight provinces have launched pilot programs for electronic health cards, and 144 prefecture-level cities have implemented a “one-card” system for medical visits across healthcare institutions within their respective regions.

We are currently working with relevant national authorities to formulate work plans for the construction of a dedicated telemedicine network and implementation schemes for equipment configuration at regional central hospitals. At present, basic telecommunications enterprises have established a nationwide medical dedicated network, a telemedicine cloud service platform, and a video cloud service platform. Hospitals at the secondary level and above across China can leverage either the internet or the dedicated network to provide telemedicine services.

Third, we will deeply implement convenient and beneficial services for the public.Regions across China are actively leveraging information technology to address the “pain points” and “bottlenecks” that citizens face in accessing medical care. For instance, Shandong Province launched the 100-Day Campaign for Convenient and Beneficial “Internet + Healthcare,” which rapidly implemented and delivered tangible results on 30 practical initiatives at all levels and within various institutions within 100 days. Zhejiang Province has used informatization as a breakthrough point to resolve “critical minor issues,” deepening the “At Most One Visit” reform initiative in the health sector. Guangdong Province carried out the “Five Ones” campaign for convenient public services through information technology, fostering an overall pattern of coordinated development.

Hospitals across China, particularly large-scale institutions, are actively leveraging internet technologies to expand the scope and content of their services. According to official national statistics, more than 3,300 public hospitals have implemented information-based measures to facilitate and benefit patients, while over 4,000 secondary-and-above hospitals offer online services such as time-slot appointment scheduling, waiting notifications, and online access to laboratory and diagnostic test results.

From this perspective, the deep integration of the internet with the healthcare sector is gaining momentum, boasting broad development prospects. In this year’s Government Work Report delivered by the Premier at the Two Sessions, clear directives were issued to develop “Internet Plus Healthcare” and accelerate the construction of a telemedicine service system. The National Health Commission will collaborate with relevant departments to strengthen implementation, promptly summarize, analyze, and promote beneficial experiences, continuously improve the support and guarantee systems, deepen “Internet Plus” applications for public benefit, enrich the supply of medical services, facilitate the downward flow of high-quality resources, and enhance the public’s sense of happiness and fulfillment.

Shandong has actively promoted the development of “Internet + Healthcare” and the application of healthcare big data, making substantial efforts and achieving notable results in advancing information-based services that benefit and facilitate access for the public. This on-site press conference aims to understand, through field research in Shandong, the supporting and leading role played by “Internet + Healthcare” in the healthcare sector, thereby driving the nationwide advancement of “Internet + Healthcare” initiatives.