Top Internet Healthcare Enterprises Unite in Yinchuan to Establish Industry Association

On October 27, a group of China’s leading internet healthcare companies announced the establishment of an industry association in Yinchuan—the Yinchuan Internet Plus Medical Health Association. The founding members include 40 innovative internet healthcare enterprises and institutions, such as Haodf Online, DXY, WeDoctor, Chunyu Doctors, VYI Orthopedics, and Apricot Forest. This marks a critical step toward standardized development for the entire industry following the issuance of new regulations on internet healthcare by the National Health Commission.

With the release of the “Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet-Based Diagnosis and Treatment” and two other related documents in September, the internet healthcare industry has transitioned from a state of regulatory uncertainty to one governed by clear legal frameworks, officially ushering in a period of rapid development. How to effectively implement the spirit of these documents and promote the healthy and orderly development of new technologies and business models has become an urgent issue to address in this innovative field. Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia—the first national demonstration zone for “Internet + Healthcare”—has attracted nearly all of China’s top-tier internet healthcare companies. Yinchuan’s exploratory efforts are representative of the entire industry. Therefore, within just over a month after the new regulations were introduced, the highly innovative Yinchuan Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission swiftly facilitated the establishment of an industry association, aiming to build a self-regulatory mechanism and promote the development of industry standards and norms.

Currently, 40 enterprises and public institutions have become member units of the Yinchuan Internet + Healthcare Association. The association conducted its first election based on multiple factors, including industry reputation, business volume in the Yinchuan region, and operational compliance. Wang Hang, CEO of Haodf.com, serves as the inaugural president of the association, while Li Tiantian, founder of DXY, and Liao Jieyuan, CEO of WeDoctor, serve as vice presidents. The council members include nine institutions: Haodf.com, DXY, WeDoctor, Chunyu Doctors, VYI Orthopedics, Hangxin Jinglian, Yizhan Technology, BlueSat Communications, and iKang Guobin.

Following its establishment, the Yinchuan Internet Plus Healthcare Association will focus on advancing work in three key areas:

First, conduct theoretical research on “Internet + Healthcare.” The Yinchuan Internet + Healthcare Association has established a specialized Academic Committee, with Professor Chen Qiulin, Deputy Director of the Health Industry Development Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, serving as Honorary President and Chair of the Academic Committee. The committee carries out evidence-based research on internet healthcare, employing rigorous experimental designs and analysis of real-world industry data to identify the value and limitations of internet healthcare, thereby providing a reliable basis for further refinement of policy regulations and industry standards.

Second, establish a mechanism for industry self-regulation. The healthy development of the industry cannot rely solely on policy regulation; it requires greater industry self-discipline. This is particularly crucial in healthcare-related sectors, where short-sighted pursuit of quick profits and the phenomenon of “bad money driving out good” must be avoided. Under the leadership of the Yinchuan Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission, the Yinchuan Internet + Medical Health Association, at its inception, advocated for the entire industry to “refrain from adopting medical advertising models that harm patients’ interests, refrain from engaging in business activities with suspected pharmaceutical kickbacks, refrain from profiting from the use of public hospitals’ appointment registration and bed resources, and resolutely resist any illegal activities that profit from the buying and selling of private information.”

Third, promote the establishment of industry standards and norms. The formulation of regulations and effective supervision both require in-depth engagement with corporate operational practices to identify issues and summarize experiences, thereby ensuring that regulation is precisely targeted and that public interests are genuinely safeguarded. Currently, all internet hospitals approved during the initial pilot phase in Yinchuan have joined the Yinchuan Internet + Medical Health Association. Covering various fields such as online consultations, remote diagnosis and telemedicine, big data, health management, and physician education, these institutions can provide the most comprehensive first-hand data for exploring industry standards.

2018 was a milestone year for the internet healthcare industry. The state established China’s first “Internet + Healthcare” demonstration zone in Ningxia, aiming to leverage Yinchuan’s concentration of internet healthcare enterprises and the spirit of policy innovation demonstrated by Ningxia and Yinchuan to pilot the development of internet healthcare across China. Research outcomes generated within this national-level demonstration zone have the potential to serve as a model for the entire country, providing valuable references for the refinement of national policies and regulations.