Wuzhen Internet Hospital Launches Ninth Remote Consultation Center for Psychological Disorders in Shenzhen

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned on December 11 that the National Teleconsultation Center for Psychological Disorders of Wuzhen Internet Hospital was officially established in Shenzhen. This marks a deepened innovative application by Wuzhen Internet Hospital in the field of psychological disorders, aiming to provide open and convenient internet-based healthcare services to patients with psychological disorders across China. The center is the ninth teleconsultation center launched by Wuzhen Internet Hospital, following the establishment of the National Multidisciplinary Teleconsultation Center for Colorectal Cancer in late October this year.

At the High-Level Forum on Teleconsultation for Mental Disorders held on the morning of the 11th, Professor Jiang Kaida and Professor Shi Shenxun from the Shanghai Mental Health Center, Professor Zhao Jingping and Professor Li Lingjiang from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, and Zhang Qunhua, Dean of Wuzhen Internet Hospital, jointly unveiled the plaque for the Teleconsultation Center. Dozens of leading psychiatric experts from top domestic hospitals, including the Shanghai Mental Health Center, Peking University Sixth Hospital, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, and West China Hospital of Sichuan University, witnessed the launch ceremony.

The latest report published in May 2016 by the prestigious medical journal The Lancet revealed a staggering treatment gap for mental disorders in China, which accounts for 17% of the global burden of mental illness. Due to scarce medical resources and stigma, the treatment-seeking rate among patients with mental disorders in China is extremely low, with fewer than 6% of those suffering from anxiety, depression, dementia, and epilepsy having sought care. Experts warn that this situation is likely to worsen over the coming decades, with the number of people affected by mental disorders in China projected to reach 36.9 million by 2025, representing an increase of approximately 10% from current levels.

In contrast, there are currently only about 20,000 psychiatrists nationwide in China, averaging one psychiatrist for every 83,000 people. Regarding the geographic distribution of patients, data on the reported prevalence (detection rate) of severe mental disorders in China indicate that first-tier cities are largely composed of migrant populations. Individuals with severe mental disorders generally do not relocate to other regions for work; consequently, data show lower detection rates in large and medium-sized cities and higher detection rates in rural areas. Patients face significant difficulties in accessing medical care, a situation that is particularly pronounced in rural regions. To address the mental health challenges of the Chinese population, it is urgent to enhance mental health services. Moreover, it is essential to adopt location-specific strategies that cover both urban and rural areas, establishing a comprehensive mental health prevention and treatment service network with fully functional capabilities.

“Currently, patients seen in psychiatric departments fall mainly into two categories. The first comprises individuals with severe mental disorders; epidemiological surveys worldwide indicate a prevalence of 1% in the general population, representing a substantial number. The second category includes patients with psychological issues closely linked to the social environment. Epidemiological studies in Shenzhen and other cities suggest that such individuals account for more than 20% of the urban population,” pointed out Professor Jiang Kaida, Director of the Department of Psychiatry at the Shanghai Mental Health Center and a renowned scholar. “The Internet offers advantages such as equitable resource distribution and efficient service delivery. Leveraging the Wuzhen Internet Hospital platform, psychiatric experts can conduct online team collaboration and patient follow-up management. This not only enhances the efficiency of multidisciplinary consultations and patient management but also contributes to building an urban–rural network for mental health prevention and treatment services, enabling timely intervention and care for psychiatric patients in rural areas and effectively improving the quality of life for individuals and families in society.”

According to Dr. Zhang Qunhua, President of Wuzhen Internet Hospital, the establishment of the Remote Consultation Center for Psychological Disorders at Wuzhen Internet Hospital will create a new online doctor-patient diagnosis and treatment system. This initiative aims to bring top-tier specialist expertise down to the grassroots level, integrate existing mental health resources, strengthen the preventive and community rehabilitation functions of specialized mental health institutions, and gradually realize functional differentiation and the implementation of tiered diagnosis and treatment. The platform’s consultation center enables early diagnosis and early intervention for psychological disorders at the primary care level. By employing non-pharmacological interventions such as expert-led health education and rehabilitation guidance, it encourages patients and their families to engage in self-management. Ultimately, it provides comprehensive, convenient, one-stop online medical services to support the social functional rehabilitation of individuals with psychological disorders, as well as to promote the mental health and healthcare of the Chinese population.

It is reported that the Remote Consultation Center for Mental Disorders at Wuzhen Internet Hospital was jointly established by multiple large psychiatric hospitals under the leadership of Shanghai Mental Health Center, with WeDoctor·Wuzhen Internet Hospital providing the online platform and operational services. The initiative aims to build a nationwide mental health service network integrating online and offline resources, relying on primary care and community rehabilitation institutions, supported by multidisciplinary teams, and led by expert psychiatric teams.