Cardiovascular Specialty Medical Consortium - Physician Education Program Launched with Pfizer Support and WeDoctor Implementation

The “Cardiovascular Specialist Medical Consortium – Physician Education Program,” initiated by the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care (hereinafter referred to as the “China Medical Promotion Association”), supported by Pfizer China, and with WeDoctor serving as the technical executor and implementer, was officially launched in Beijing on January 4.

This project aims to narrow the disparities in cardiovascular disease diagnosis and treatment among cardiologists across different regions of China. By establishing an innovative internet-based medical consortium for cardiovascular specialties, it seeks to comprehensively improve the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of primary-care cardiologists. While enhancing treatment adherence among patients with established cardiovascular diseases, the project also strengthens the identification of high-risk populations for early atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), such as those with hypertension combined with dyslipidemia or arterial plaques, and facilitates prompt early therapeutic interventions. Starting from the primary care level, this initiative strives to genuinely reduce both the incidence and mortality rates of ASCVD.

Si Sijun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Health Care

According to Si Jun, Deputy Secretary-General of the China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Healthcare, this project will serve cardiovascular physicians across China through the joint efforts of three parties—the Association, Pfizer China, and WeDoctor. By leveraging the technological and resource advantages of WeDoctor’s internet healthcare platform, the project will deliver online training and offline academic conferences to help primary-care cardiovascular physicians improve their diagnostic and treatment capabilities, thereby supporting the Healthy China strategy.

In April 2017, the General Office of the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Construction and Development of Medical Consortia,” which clearly stated that “strengthening primary healthcare is a long-term and arduous task. China faces an insufficient total volume of high-quality medical resources, an unreasonable structure, and uneven distribution. In particular, the shortage of talent at the primary level remains a significant weakness, which has become a major constraint on safeguarding public health and deepening healthcare reform. The development of medical consortia represents an important step and institutional innovation in deepening healthcare reform. It facilitates the adjustment and optimization of the structural layout of medical resources, promotes the shifting of focus and resources toward primary care, and enhances service delivery capacity at the grassroots level. Furthermore, it enables better vertical integration of medical resources, improves the overall efficiency of the healthcare service system, and supports the effective implementation of tiered diagnosis and treatment to better meet the public’s health needs.”

Academician Zhang Yun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a renowned cardiovascular expert in China, pointed out that under the model of specialized medical consortiums for cardiovascular care, two major challenges must be actively addressed in the current treatment landscape of cardiovascular diseases in China: first, the substantial volume of patients being referred from tertiary hospitals to primary care institutions; and second, the urgent need to enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities at the primary care level. Improving the capacity of primary care hospitals in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases is an immediate priority.

The “Report on Cardiovascular Diseases in China 2016” indicates that there are currently approximately 290 million patients with cardiovascular disease in China, including 13 million stroke patients and 11 million patients with coronary heart disease. The distribution of cardiovascular specialists in China is highly uneven, and the level of diagnosis and treatment for cardiovascular diseases in primary healthcare institutions remains inconsistent. “Cardiovascular physician resources are more densely concentrated in the central and eastern regions than in the western region, and physicians in the central and eastern regions have relatively greater advantages in educational background and learning opportunities. Furthermore, influenced by healthcare-seeking habits, patients often flock to large hospitals,” pointed out Academician Zhang Yun. “The establishment of specialized medical consortia for cardiovascular care will help effectively implement tiered diagnosis and treatment, enabling cardiovascular patients to receive care closer to home.”

Wang Fang, Chief Physician of the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Hospital, stated that the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases mainly involve two aspects. On one hand, for patients who already have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), such as those with myocardial infarction or stroke, it is necessary to strengthen subsequent secondary prevention management after acute-phase treatment in large hospitals to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. On the other hand, there is currently a large population at high risk for ASCVD in China, such as patients with hypertension combined with hyperlipidemia and those with arterial plaques; these individuals are only one step away from experiencing myocardial infarction or stroke. Therefore, early identification of high-risk ASCVD populations is of great significance. Early identification and intervention should be implemented to prevent the occurrence of myocardial infarction and stroke, which constitutes effective primary prevention.

“Specifically, identifying individuals at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is straightforward and requires only a simple action from clinicians. For patients with hypertension, it is essential to routinely assess their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Based on the number of coexisting risk factors and in accordance with the Chinese Guidelines for Lipid Management, clinicians can determine the patient’s risk stratification. Moderate risk should warrant clinical attention, prompting the early initiation of moderate-intensity statin therapy,” explained Professor Wang Fang in detail. “Furthermore, it is crucial to identify patients with arterial plaques. For populations prone to plaque formation—such as those aged over 40 years, or those with a family history of premature coronary heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes—routine carotid ultrasound screening should be performed to detect the presence of plaques. Statin therapy should be initiated upon plaque detection. Primary care physicians should not only manage patients with confirmed cardiovascular disease but also proactively manage high-risk individuals in their communities. In the future, primary care physicians will play a vital and active role in the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases in China.”

At the launch ceremony, Dr. Wu Xiaobin, President of Pfizer Greater China, stated that Pfizer has always upheld “working together to build a Healthy China” as its mission in China, striving to “become an integral part of China’s healthcare system.” Pfizer is committed to meeting the diverse healthcare needs of the population through innovative and practical approaches. It is hoped that this project will leverage emerging technological means, such as the internet, to disseminate cardiovascular knowledge and academic advancements to cardiologists. This initiative aims to help more physicians overcome geographical and temporal constraints, thereby serving a larger patient population, enhancing daily preventive management of chronic diseases, and improving patients’ adherence to evidence-based treatment.

As a leading intelligent healthcare platform in China, WeDoctor has successfully operated more than 100 internet-based medical consortia across the country, accumulating mature expertise in internet healthcare technology and operations. He Chao, Senior Vice President of WeDoctor, stated that over the past year, WeDoctor has been leveraging the pioneering power of the internet to accelerate the integration of online and offline medical institutions within these consortia. He expressed confidence that, by capitalizing on WeDoctor’s technological advantages in internet services, big data, and medical artificial intelligence, as well as its robust physician resources, the platform will reach a broader base of primary-care cardiovascular physicians through online learning and offline training. This initiative aims to create more opportunities for professional development among primary-care physicians, thereby supporting the Healthy China strategy.