Internet-Plus Healthcare Breakthrough: State Council Bulletin Highlights Jia County, Henan’s Innovative Model
On November 13, the Leading Group for Deepening the Reform of the Medical and Healthcare System under the State Council released a special briefing, commending Jia County in Henan Province for its proactive exploration of a new “Internet + Healthcare” model, and providing a detailed overview and promotion of the innovative practices and notable achievements of the “Jia County Model.”
In April 2017, WeDoctor signed a cooperation agreement with the Pingdingshan Municipal Government on “Internet + Health Pingdingshan,” launching the initial pilot in Jia County. After one year of operation, the city has established a comprehensive construction and operational model. The intelligent tiered diagnosis and treatment system provides residents with all-around medical and health services; mobile cloud clinics bring the service capabilities of four tiers of medical institutions directly to villagers’ doorsteps; platforms for remote ECG, remote imaging, and online prescriptions have significantly enhanced regional medical service collaboration; and intelligent auxiliary diagnosis and treatment systems have empowered primary care physicians with expert-level support.
Leveraging family doctor contract services as the entry point, Pingdingshan has pioneered the “Pingdingshan Model” of Internet + Healthcare. This model features government-purchased services, third-party platform construction and operation, full participation from regional medical institutions, and the integration of medicine, healthcare, and insurance through a “three-medical linkage” mechanism. It has established a regional intelligent tiered diagnosis and treatment platform covering five levels—province, city, county, township, and village—thereby creating a regional health community. After more than a year of pilot implementation, this model now covers all urban districts and counties in Pingdingshan.
The special report highlights that Jia County has actively developed a new “Internet + Healthcare” model, continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements of healthcare reform. It has yielded four major outcomes in meeting the public’s new demands for medical services and healthy living: refining basic public health services, strengthening primary care capacity, streamlining services within medical consortia, and precisely targeting poverty alleviation through healthcare initiatives. This has truly realized the goal of “letting data do the running so that people need to run less,” enabling residents to enjoy the convenience of “managing minor illnesses at the township level and treating serious conditions within the county.”
It is reported that this model has been widely and successfully implemented at the primary care level in China. In addition to Pingdingshan City, WeDoctor has launched initiatives such as the Primary Care Cloud and family doctor contract services in Guangshan County (Henan Province), as well as Daning County and Yonghe County (Shanxi Province). Tailoring its approach to local conditions, the company has deployed multiple platforms—including internet-based medical consortia, remote consultation workstations, and mobile cloud clinic vehicles—to advance capacity-building efforts in primary healthcare and support health-focused poverty alleviation programs.
On April 28, the General Office of the State Council released the “Opinions on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet + Healthcare’.” From top-level national strategic guidance to the successive implementation of detailed rules by provinces and municipalities, the pathway by which “Internet +” will empower healthcare development is gradually becoming clear. As the first region to comprehensively implement these policies, Pingdingshan City’s explorations in this area have gained policy recognition and will serve as a model for the nationwide promotion of “Internet + Healthcare” policies.