SkinBao APP Partners with Tianjin Dermatology Expert Alliance to Establish China's First Remote Online Dermatology Diagnosis and Treatment Platform

On June 24, at the Conference Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Changzheng Hospital), Skin Treasure APP and the Tianjin Dermatology Experts Alliance held a cooperation signing ceremony.

Professor Liu Quanzhong, Director of the Department of Dermatology at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and organizer of the Tianjin Dermatology Experts Alliance, stated, “This collaboration aims to enhance the professional value of physicians, foster new models of medical services, and invigorate emerging formats in internet-based health services. By joining the PiFuBao platform, the Dermatology Experts Alliance leverages internet technology to address a broader range of public skin health needs. Minor and chronic conditions are managed online, while severe and critical cases are referred for in-person care. Through the PiFuBao APP, we aim to make expert medical resources more accessible, thereby promoting inclusive healthcare.”

It is reported that since its launch, Skin Treasure has attracted thousands of dermatology experts to join its independent alliance within three months, providing users with real-time online consultations.

Professor Zhang Litao, Director of the Department of Dermatology at the Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Changzheng Hospital), stated that, given the characteristics of dermatological conditions, at least 30% of patients can have their issues fully resolved online via the Skin Treasure APP. Furthermore, many follow-up visits can also be conducted entirely online. This approach not only aligns with national healthcare reform policies by facilitating tiered diagnosis and treatment online but also helps patients save both money and time. Professor Zhang further noted that the alliance experts who signed with the Skin Treasure APP represent leading dermatology departments from high-quality hospitals in Tianjin. They will provide robust offline resource support for the Skin Treasure APP, ensuring that patients receive high-quality care at partner hospitals for any issues that cannot be resolved online.

Addressing the Pain Points of In-Person Dermatological Consultations

According to statistics, more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from various types of skin diseases. In China alone, there are over 160 million hospital visits for skin conditions annually, meaning that on average, one in every ten people is a patient with a skin disease. Skin health issues are garnering increasing attention.

Despite having approximately 22,000 dermatologists in China, the shortage of physicians and uneven distribution of resources mean that most patients with mild or chronic skin conditions cannot receive timely, convenient, and effective professional treatment.

Falling ill and being unable to seek timely medical attention is a highly challenging issue. Due to difficulties in registering appointments, accessing healthcare services, and receiving proper diagnosis and treatment, many patients opt to purchase common over-the-counter medications from nearby pharmacies. Although these drugs may provide some relief for skin conditions, they only address the symptoms rather than the underlying cause, leading to recurrent episodes.

On the other hand, this is a pain point in dermatology consultations, as well as in China’s overall healthcare environment. Wang Feng, CEO of PifuBao, stated that PifuBao has identified these pain points in dermatological care and is committed to developing a technology-driven product to provide better services for patients.

According to U.S. FDA data, nearly 70%–80% of skin conditions are most suitable for online medical consultations, allowing for complete diagnosis via images or video.

To assess whether a startup venture can succeed, one must consider whether the entrepreneur has identified the industry’s pain points and whether they have devised an effective solution to address them.

Clearly, Wang Feng and his team identified a critical pain point and developed a solution for it. “Thus, SkinBao was born, creating a platform that enables ‘one-click access to medical care and inclusive healthcare.’”

Currently, the physicians available on PiFuBao are primarily dermatologists from Shanghai and other renowned hospitals across China. Patients can download the PiFuBao app to conduct real-time consultations with online doctors. These physicians provide initial online diagnoses, facilitate offline referrals, and implement triage for acute and chronic conditions.

Building the Personal Brand of Dermatologists

2016 was the inaugural year of the IP era, with entrepreneurs across various industries striving to establish their own intellectual property (IP) brands. Possessing an IP brand equates to having a loyal fan base, while a high-profile IP amplifies the fan effect, helping products rapidly capture market share.

It is also possible to leverage IP to connect with downstream derivative products in the industrial chain and extend into other product forms, thereby maximizing the utilization of IP value. Examples include cultural industry IPs, entertainment IPs, gaming IPs, and physician IPs.

In Wang Feng’s view, Skin Treasure should not only provide patients with a convenient way to access medical care but also help physicians on the platform build their own personal brands. For example, if a medical school graduate joins a hospital at age 28 and works there for 30 years, seeing 10,000 patients annually, they would accumulate a patient base of 300,000—equivalent to the following of a major influencer on WeChat Official Accounts today.

Imagine that among these 300,000 patients, only 30% consult doctors via Skin Treasure each year and pay a consultation fee of 5 yuan per visit. What is the value of doctors' fragmented time?

There are countless examples of doctors building their own exclusive personal brands. Therefore, PiFuBao has launched features such as “My Patients,” “My Wallet,” “Online Consultations,” “Online Scheduling,” “Calendar Management,” and “Academic Exchange” for its physician users.

On the one hand, registered physicians can fully leverage fragmented time, weekends, and holidays to assist more patients, while also earning appropriate compensation by applying their professional expertise, thereby monetizing their knowledge. On the other hand, physicians can engage in academic exchanges and interactions with peers, continuously enhancing their academic proficiency and clinical skills. Skinbao also provides an interconnected platform linking renowned specialists with primary care physicians, thereby elevating the overall standard of dermatological care in China and delivering more professional medical services to patients.

Currently, “Skin Treasure” has partnered with more than 300 public specialized dermatology hospitals and professional dermatology departments in public hospitals across China, as well as with dermatologists, to provide patients with year-round, 24/7 online medical consultations. Furthermore, since the launch of the “Hospital E-Prescription Service” on the Skin Treasure platform, its medication delivery coverage has expanded to over ten provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Guangdong.

Meanwhile, in consideration of ensuring medical practice safety for physicians on the PiFuBao platform and providing patients with peace of mind when seeking medical care, PiFuBao has entered into a strategic partnership and a medical malpractice insurance purchase agreement with ZhongAn Insurance (an internet-based insurance company). This arrangement provides medical malpractice insurance and accidental injury insurance for all physicians practicing on the PiFuBao platform. Both parties will also gradually introduce a range of insurance products designed to serve patients.