2016 China Brand Doctors Summit & Haodf Online Annual Ceremony: A Brand Heroes' Gathering in the Era of Healthcare Transformation

From February 27 to 28, 2016, the “2016 China Brand Doctor Summit and Haodaifu Annual Gala,” co-hosted by Haodaifu Online and Health界 Media, kicked off in Beijing. At the gala, more than 1,000 participants—including representative brand-name doctors from across China, as well as physicians, hospital directors, industry experts, scholars, and investors concerned with the transformation of the new healthcare ecosystem and the building of doctors’ personal brands—came together for this gathering of brand heroes in an era of medical reform.

Brand Physician Profiles in the Mobile Internet Era

In the era of mobile internet, with the convenience of information dissemination, the highly specialized and relatively closed healthcare industry is undergoing fundamental changes. The supply-demand relationship is beginning to reverse, as patients increasingly favor a proactive approach to selecting physicians, seeking multiple opinions, and pursuing high-quality medical care. Meanwhile, the introduction of policies such as multi-site practice, independent practice, and the separation of prescribing from dispensing, along with the emergence of various practice models like physician groups and physician studios, has heightened the demand for medical talent by institutions such as independent clinics, private hospitals, and joint-stock hospitals. These developments signal a significant trend: the rise of branded physicians.

In the internet era, whom do patients choose when actively selecting physicians? Who should lead hospital discipline development and talent cultivation? With whom are medical research projects most eager to collaborate? Whom do public hospitals most wish to retain? Who possesses the greatest capital for multi-site and independent practice? What kind of talents do physician groups and private hospitals need most?

There is only one answer: Brand Doctor!

In the past, within the medical landscape, chronic shortages in healthcare supply left patient needs unmet for a long time, leading to widespread issues such as distorted medical value and diminished quality of care. Today, however, a profound transformation is unfolding in the healthcare sector, driven by the convergence of public demand, capital investment, policy support, and mobile technology. Physicians with strong comprehensive capabilities and established personal brands are emerging as the most influential figures in the industry. These “branded physicians” enjoy high social visibility, wield significant media influence, possess advanced clinical expertise, excel in diagnosis and treatment, demonstrate empathy toward patients, and communicate effectively. By exploring new models of healthcare delivery and driving the return of intrinsic value to medical services, they represent the direction of patient choice in healthcare. Consequently, these branded physicians have become the most sought-after talents—akin to “Qilin Cai Zi” (exceptionally gifted individuals)—attracting substantial social resources centered around healthcare. Furthermore, branded physicians now enjoy greater career flexibility. Alternative practice models outside the traditional public system, such as multi-site practice, independent practice, and physician groups, are on the rise, granting doctors more autonomy in selecting their employment platforms and partners. Empowered by mobile internet technology, which facilitates efficient information dissemination and enhances doctor-patient interaction, capable branded physicians can build stable patient communities, providing the momentum needed to break free from the constraints of the traditional system and market.

The rise of "brand-name doctors" signifies a fundamentally new relationship between hospitals and physicians. To manage their teams effectively, administrators at public hospitals must promptly understand the perspectives and concerns of this emerging group. Furthermore, the ascent of brand-name doctors is driving a novel model for doctor-patient services. All stakeholders across the service supply chain need to comprehend the needs of these physicians, providing products and platforms that pave the way and build bridges for this new paradigm.

A new healthcare ecosystem has taken shape, with branded physicians as the pioneers of this emerging landscape and a dominant force capable of reshaping the industry’s competitive dynamics.

Revisiting the Connotation of Doctor Branding

At the event, Duan Tao, President of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, stated that behind a physician’s brand lies high-quality experience. He pointed out that while mobile internet and new media have provided physicians with opportunities to build and maintain their personal brands, internet thinking has also fostered the so-called “diaosi culture,” which emphasizes low prices alongside high quality. The direct consequence is a lack of “brand”: failure to establish a brand, absence of quality, and deficiency in professionalism. As the internet continues to evolve, the growing middle class has begun to prioritize “brand” and emphasize “quality.” They demonstrate “Loyalty” and believe in “Royalty,” seeking physicians with strong “brands” and services of high “quality.”

Wei Yongxiang, President of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, believes that re-examining the intrinsic relationship between hospital and physician brands is the most pressing topic for discussion at present. He points out that future society will undoubtedly be one that values and respects brands. Both physicians and hospitals need to evolve and establish their own brands. Physician brands and hospital brands are inextricably intertwined, coexisting symbiotically for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, making it impossible to separate them absolutely. Individual physician brands are an integral part of hospital brands; enhancing the visibility of a hospital’s brand also strengthens public trust in the individual brands of its physicians.

Zhang Qiang is the spokesperson for a physician group that has stepped out of the traditional system to build its own brand. In his view, delivering medical services to the utmost level of excellence is the foundation for establishing a brand. He notes that in the past, patients always sought care at hospitals rather than individual doctors, because during that era, nearly all high-quality specialists were monopolized by large, dominant hospitals. With limited access to information about “good doctors,” the general public had no choice but to treat “good hospitals” as the entry point for medical care. While the English phrase for seeking medical attention is “see a doctor,” in China it has effectively become “see a hospital.” However, since it is doctors and nurses who provide direct patient care, the focus should return to finding the right doctor. Therefore, we should emphasize the importance of physician branding. A strong physician brand is built on “competence”—the ability to provide responsible, high-quality, and patient-satisfying medical services. Regardless of whether physicians work within or outside the traditional public healthcare system, and whether they are affiliated with medical institutions or join physician groups, building a personal brand requires them to focus intently on the patients they currently serve and strive to deliver their medical services to the highest possible standard. This is the fundamental basis for all physicians seeking to establish their personal brands.

Li Aiqin, Vice President of Hunan Children’s Hospital, believes that physicians need not only a professional brand but also a social brand to achieve true excellence. Physicians have long focused heavily on their influence within the medical professional community, paying close attention to their academic standing and disciplinary impact in this circle. However, since physicians’ work is patient-facing, whether patients are aware of a physician, whether the physician has a good reputation among patients, and whether patients recognize and trust the physician all reflect the physician’s social influence. A physician may possess clinical expertise and academic influence, but this does not necessarily translate into broad societal recognition. The general public does not search for physicians’ academic credentials on specialized medical platforms; they are neither concerned with nor do they understand terminology-laden “evaluations” such as the number of SCI articles published, research projects participated in, or grants awarded. In contrast, the public can read health education articles written by physicians, consult them online about medical conditions, and see how many positive and negative reviews a physician has received.

Dr. Fang Yousheng, a hand surgeon at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, was consecutively named “Top Doctor of the Year” by Haodf Online from 2013 to 2015. He believes that a personal brand is the true embodiment of a physician’s value. While people are familiar with outstanding or even renowned doctors, they often overlook the concept of “branded physicians.” However, in today’s era of mobile internet, building a personal brand should become an aspirational goal for doctors. Based on Dr. Fang’s own experience, the internet has indeed transformed his career path. When he returned to Huashan Hospital in Shanghai after completing his studies in the United States in 2007, hand deformities constituted only a small portion of his clinical practice, and he had no particular interest in this subspecialty, nor did he engage in any promotional efforts. However, he later observed a significant year-on-year increase in patients with hand deformities, which sparked his curiosity. Upon further investigation, he discovered that the parents of these children had learned about him and sought his care through online platforms. After launching his personal profile on Haodf, he provided online consultations to more than 10,000 patients, over 9,000 of whom suffered from congenital hand deformities. As his patient base grew and time passed, the evaluations and feedback provided by patients became valuable references for new patients seeking medical care. An increasing number of patients found him through the internet, thereby establishing his professional brand and enabling him to secure a prominent position in the field of congenital hand deformities. He currently serves as the Deputy Leader of the National Limb Deformity Group. Dr. Fang believes that a personal brand is lifelong and represents the true value of a physician; it does not change with hospital affiliation and serves as one’s professional label and logo. With the development of the healthcare market, it is crucial for physicians to cultivate their personal brands.