Wuzhen Internet Hospital Launches Burn and Trauma Remote Consultation Center, Marking a New Milestone in 'Internet+ Healthcare'

VCBeat Exclusive: On April 8, the Remote Consultation Center for Burn and Trauma Care at Wuzhen Internet Hospital was officially unveiled. More than 40 leading experts in the field of burn and trauma care, including Academician Xia Zhaofan, Director of the Department of Burn Surgery at Shanghai Changhai Hospital; Professor Zhang Xiong, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission and Chairman of the Burn Surgery Branch of the Shanghai Medical Association; Professor Wu Jun, Chairman of the Burn Committee of the Chinese Medical Association; and Professor Zhang Qunhua, Dean of Wuzhen Internet Hospital, jointly attended the unveiling ceremony.

The establishment of the Wuzhen Internet Hospital Remote Consultation Center for Burn and Trauma Care marks another novel endeavor in China’s “Internet+” online medical services. Academician Xia Zhaofan stated, “Patients can directly access online follow-up consultations and multidisciplinary consultations with renowned specialists across China through the remote consultation center, thereby receiving the most appropriate treatment plans in the shortest possible time.”

Academician Xia Zhaofan revealed to reporters, “A significant proportion of burn patients in China come from impoverished and remote areas. After suffering burn injuries, they often fail to receive standardized and timely treatment; some county-level hospitals in these regions do not even have a dedicated burn department. Consequently, patients frequently experience delayed care, missing the optimal window for treatment.”

Even after wound closure, some patients still face a series of subsequent issues, including hypertrophic scarring, limb contractures, functional recovery, and rehabilitation training. Due to geographic constraints and inadequate local medical resources, these challenges can ultimately lead to permanent disability.

“Burns can be specifically divided into four phases: the shock phase, the infection phase, the repair phase, and the rehabilitation phase,” pointed out Academician Xia Zhaofan. He noted that the treatment regimen for burn patients varies across each phase, and the management of each phase is closely linked to the subsequent one, forming an interdependent chain. “Therefore, early intervention is of particular importance.”

"Experienced burn specialists must provide timely treatment to patients when the initial treatment plan is formulated." The establishment of the Wuzhen Internet Hospital's Teleconsultation Center for Burn and Trauma Care can better serve patients, expand the reach of medical services, and leverage the expertise of specialists more effectively, thereby enhancing the efficiency of cross-disciplinary and cross-regional team collaboration.

Zhang Qunhua, President of Wuzhen Internet Hospital, told reporters in an interview that the Remote Consultation Center for Burn and Trauma Care is the 11th remote diagnosis and treatment center established by Wuzhen Internet Hospital, as well as its 11th specialized medical alliance.

“The Internet will inevitably extend high-quality medical services to the grassroots level. Patients with severe illnesses in third- and fourth-tier cities no longer need to travel long distances to major hospitals in Beijing or Shanghai; instead, they can directly consult with specialists at remote consultation centers via the Internet locally.” Meanwhile, “addressing shortcomings” is also a crucial mission of internet healthcare.

High-level experts can disseminate their knowledge and experience to physicians in remote areas via the internet, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence technologies—such as electronic health record sharing and data interoperability—to tangibly enhance healthcare standards in those regions.

Zhang Qunhua concluded by stating, “We believe that as the Wuzhen Internet Hospital continues to grow, it will attract an increasing number of renowned medical experts to its platform, thereby serving a larger patient population.”