DXY Clinic Enters Chronic Disease Management: Bridging Supply and Demand to Realize 'Internet + Healthcare'

On April 14, Dingxiang Clinic and First Health Medical Management Group’s Eastern Guangdong Branch held a strategic cooperation launch event in Chaozhou. In collaboration with the Chaozhou Medical Association, they also convened the “Healthy Chaozhou: Academic Summit Forum on Health Management,” inviting renowned domestic experts in chronic disease management to discuss the construction of new models for post-examination health management.

Good news from the forum: DXY Clinic, in partnership with First Health, has issued an initiative to launch the “Chaozhou 100-Patient Chronic Disease Management Public Welfare Month.” As part of this initiative, 100 one-month chronic disease management slots will be provided free of charge to residents of Chaozhou. This will enable people in this globally renowned hometown of overseas Chinese to access China’s most advanced, precision-based chronic disease management services delivered through a multidisciplinary team comprising physicians, dietitians, health managers, pharmacists, health educators, and medical examination institutions. The activity has received strong support from the Chaozhou Health Bureau.

As China’s population ages at an accelerating pace, medical costs continue to rise, health insurance funds face increasing strain, and the disease burden shifts from infectious diseases to chronic conditions. Consequently, public demand for “disease prevention” and “health management” is steadily growing. The Outline of the “Healthy China 2030” Plan explicitly sets a target to reduce premature mortality from chronic diseases by 30% in 2030 compared with 2015 levels. This undoubtedly imposes higher requirements on society, individuals, and professionals in the broader health sector.

Looking at the current state of the healthcare industry, most medical facilities and care models are designed to address acute issues, with significant deficiencies in supporting behavioral changes, psychological counseling, and multidisciplinary coordinated care for patients with chronic diseases. Many physicians hope to bridge the gap in post-discharge continuous care management, thereby achieving “integrated management across inpatient and outpatient settings.”

In addition to hospitals, specialized health checkup providers are also acutely aware that, although customer traffic is currently high, there is a lack of professional teams responsible for post-examination management. Customers often feel deeply anxious about their suboptimal health status after receiving their reports, yet remain uncertain about how to obtain effective interventions. The challenge facing specialized health checkup institutions is the urgent need to enhance user experience and upgrade their revenue models.

For highly specialized health management institutions, despite possessing professional teams and effective management technologies, they face the challenge of prohibitively high customer acquisition costs, often leaving them with “strength but no outlet.” Paradoxically, among individuals who undergo regular annual health check-ups, many report that although they are aware of their “sub-health” status and recognize the need for health screenings and management, they “can hardly find professional and reliable health management services.” This highlights a significant mismatch between the supply and demand in chronic disease management.

To actively learn from and introduce the most advanced chronic disease management programs in China, thereby contributing to the development of "Healthy Chaozhou," Fang Hansheng, President of the Chaozhou Medical Association, stated that efforts should be made on both the supply and demand sides. Under government supervision and guidance, coordination across social, industry, and individual levels should be achieved by leveraging a "new model" of post-examination health management to realize the strategic theme of "co-construction, sharing, and health for all." In alignment with this initiative, the strategic partnership between Dingxiang Clinic and First Health’s Eastern Guangdong Branch was announced, marking the official launch of their joint chronic disease management program in the Chaoshan region.

Yang Zefang, head of Dingxiang Clinic, stated that the clinic would achieve an “online-offline follow-up loop” by “increasing IT investment,” “making appropriate personnel adjustments,” and “providing on-site training.” As a health examination provider, Wu Zekun, head of First Health, said that in post-examination management, First Health would organize training for health management assistants, arrange medical appointments, collect information on clients’ lifestyle habits, and promptly compile and feedback this information to Dingxiang Clinic. Meanwhile, it provides clients with examination items recommended by Dingxiang Clinic, ensuring end-to-end accompaniment throughout the process.

Yang Zefang stated, “The health management team at Dingxiang Clinic possesses strong professional expertise and practical experience. Most notably, our model is not constrained by geographical limitations, enabling us to deliver health management services that are more convenient, professional, and continuous. We will continue to refine this approach, which holds immense potential for future growth.” Such collaboration represents not only a complementary partnership between check-up centers and clinical care providers but also a significant endeavor to implement the “Internet Plus” strategy within the healthcare industry.

The DXY Clinic Health Management Team was established in August 2015. With diabetes management as its entry point, the team also conducts health management programs including weight management, metabolic syndrome management, and smoking cessation management. The team is committed to fostering Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Diabetes Self-Management Support (DSMS). Adhering to clinical guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), and other authoritative bodies, the team integrates standardized diagnosis and treatment with scientific health education, striving to build a comprehensive, internationally aligned collaborative care network for diabetes.

First Health Medical Management Group’s Eastern Guangdong Branch is the first professional health management institution in eastern Guangdong. Integrating cutting-edge advancements in medicine, it is committed to developing preventive medicine in China, promoting health management, and enhancing the quality of life for Chinese citizens, thereby helping them transition from “passive medical care” to “proactive health.”