China Launches First National Diabetic Complications Screening and Management Network
On the afternoon of September 26, 2017, the “Jiangsu Unicom Medical Cloud Product Launch Conference” was grandly held at the Xinhua Media Guangdong International Hotel. At the conference, the Chinese Society of Microcirculation, China Unicom Jiangsu Provincial Branch, and Fuzhou Kangwei Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhangkong Tangniaobing) signed a strategic cooperation agreement to launch China’s first “Diabetic Complications Screening and Management Network” project, thereby pioneering a new model for the prevention and control of diabetic complications.
Fear of Complications Sparks the Emergence of a Diabetes Complication Screening and Management Network
It is reported that in recent years, the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in China has been rising year by year. By 2030, medical expenditures for diabetes in China are projected to reach RMB 47.2 billion, primarily driven by the treatment of complications, imposing a heavy economic burden on both patients and society. Sun Zilin, Deputy Dean of the Medical School of Southeast University, Director of the Diabetes Institute at Southeast University, and Chairman of the Professional Committee on Diabetes and Microcirculation under the Chinese Society of Microcirculation, stated, “Early screening for diabetic complications can delay their onset and reduce incidence rates by 45%–85%. However, there is currently a lack of a scientifically effective, widely accessible, and vertically integrated screening and management network for diabetic complications, which significantly hinders prevention and control efforts.”
Address by Sun Zilin, Chairman of the Diabetes and Microcirculation Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Microcirculation
Three Industry Leaders Join Forces to Combat Diabetic Complications
To address this situation, the Chinese Society of Microcirculation, China Unicom Jiangsu Branch, and Fuzhou Kangwei Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhangkong Diabetes) have joined forces to leverage their respective strengths and jointly establish China’s first nationwide screening and management network for diabetes complications.
From left to right: Liu Naifeng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society for Microcirculation; Zhang Chunhui, Vice President of China Unicom Jiangsu Branch; Gao Xing, General Manager of Fuzhou Kangwei Network Technology Co., Ltd.
The online platform for screening and managing diabetic complications leverages AI and IoT technologies to connect hospitals at different tiers. It integrates basic patient data from Hospital Information Systems (HIS)—including diagnosis, treatment, medication, and examination records—with screening data from specialized devices for diabetic complications, such as those for neuropathy assessment, vascular lesion detection, and fundus photography. Through big data mining and analysis on the diabetic complication screening management platform, the system intelligently generates screening and management reports, providing support and assistance to multiple stakeholders, including patients with diabetes, healthcare providers, researchers, and government agencies.
Leveraging its professional expertise, the Chinese Society of Microcirculation has established uniform operational standards for diabetes screening and management networks, provided training and guidance to personnel at screening stations, facilitated the development and implementation of new complication screening protocols based on big data, and actively promoted research into “appropriate technologies” for diabetes screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management tailored to the Chinese population. These efforts will have a profound impact on the prevention and control of diabetic complications in China.
China Unicom possesses nationwide leading smart healthcare cloud service capabilities in the field of health and medical big data. In the development of the Chinese Society for Microcirculation’s screening network for diabetic complications, China Unicom will integrate smart terminal services, smart connectivity services, healthcare industry cloud services, and cloud application services. By fully leveraging its financial strengths, intelligent system integration and communication network advantages, as well as its promotional resource advantages, China Unicom aims to assist the Chinese Society for Microcirculation in accelerating the construction of a screening and management network for diabetic complications.
The core data engine of the online platform for screening and managing diabetic complications is provided by Zhangkong Tangniaobing. The engine’s core algorithms incorporate advanced chronic disease management technologies from Europe and the United States, enabling intelligent data analysis to generate decision-support recommendations for healthcare professionals and comprehensive home-based diabetes management prescriptions for patients. These management prescriptions have been endorsed by expert consensus and validated as a feasible and appropriate technology for diabetes control, and are currently undergoing Phase II clinical certification by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). Key partners include authoritative institutions such as the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Peking University First Hospital, the PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital), and Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University.
The Chinese Microcirculation Society’s Screening and Management Network for Diabetes Complications will be gradually rolled out across all provinces. It is expected to complete screening and management for nearly 5 million individuals within the next three years, establish a system of relevant standards and guidelines, and develop more than three appropriate technologies for diabetes screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management, thereby making a meaningful contribution to the prevention and control of diabetic complications in China.