Essential Tools for Doctors Embracing Independent Practice: The Rise of Mobile Health Solutions

As healthcare reform deepens, physicians’ independent practice has become one of the most prominent issues of concern among medical professionals. In China, independent practice by physicians remains relatively uncommon; however, it is in fact the predominant model internationally, widely adopted in countries such as the United States, Germany, Australia, and Canada. In these countries, once licensed, physicians are not bound to a single practice location but may instead enter into contracts with multiple hospitals simultaneously. The relationship between physicians and hospitals is not one of direct employment; physicians are generally overseen by professional medical associations, with individual practitioners bearing responsibility for their own malpractice risks.

Compared to the “iron rice bowl” of positions within the public system, independent practice means that physicians must attract patients through their technical expertise and service quality, thereby earning higher incomes. Consequently, independent practice better incentivizes doctors to enhance their clinical skills and provide high-quality services, fostering healthy competition within the medical profession. Patients also benefit from this model, enjoying higher-quality diagnosis and treatment as well as a more comfortable healthcare experience. Meanwhile, as policies supporting independent practice mature, the monopoly held by public hospitals will gradually be broken. Hospitals will need to attract medical talent based on their own competitiveness rather than relying on administrative power to restrict physicians’ mobility. Furthermore, independent practice can optimize the allocation of medical resources through market mechanisms, alleviating the difficulty of accessing medical care. It also allows the market to determine physicians’ pricing, making healthcare costs more flexible.

It is an undeniable trend that physicians are moving toward independent practice. However, when a doctor truly faces the choice of “staying or leaving,” it is natural to feel apprehensive about the challenges inherent in choosing independent practice. It is fair to say that the biggest obstacles to independent practice are not only the personnel systems of public hospitals but also the physicians themselves. After becoming accustomed to the atmosphere and pace within the established system, the sudden loss of the backing provided by public hospitals can feel like shifting from large-scale coordinated operations to solitary combat, inevitably giving rise to inner fear. This fear stems not only from maladjustment to the new environment but also from a lack of personal branding. Patients often seek care based on a physician’s reputation as a renowned expert at a prestigious hospital. When the significant halo of the hospital fades from the physician, replaced by a name that may not be widely recognized among patients, the physician’s appeal to patients will inevitably decline. Furthermore, doctors are commonly concerned that although the government supports independent practice, current policies still impose substantial constraints, and the legal risks associated with independent practice must be borne individually by physicians without institutional support. Moreover, public hospitals boast extensive logistical and administrative support systems, allowing doctors to focus solely on their professional duties without engaging in daily management tasks. In contrast, physicians in independent practice must assume responsibilities beyond clinical care, such as attracting and retaining patients, setting and adjusting prices for medical services, collecting patient case data, and seeking opportunities for learning and advanced training. While the tasks are numerous, the corresponding support and available tools remain scarce.

Mobile health can offer new approaches and perspectives to address these issues.

First, mobile health can bridge the gap between doctors and patients, helping physicians build their personal brands to attract and retain patients. For example, ZocDoc, an online doctor appointment platform in the United States, allows users to find nearby physicians via its website or mobile app. Patients can select suitable doctors based on profile reviews, credential verification, and available time slots, then confirm appointment times and complete bookings. Athena Communicator is an automated call and email delivery platform as well as a customizable patient portal system. It strengthens doctor-patient communication through automated SMS messages, patient portals, operator services, and self-pay reminders. Patients can also make appointments, pay bills, and view lab results online, thereby streamlining the medical visit process and enhancing patient experience, which ultimately boosts physicians’ reputations among patients.

Furthermore, mobile health plays a significant role in assisting physicians with the entry and management of medical records. Practice Fusion is the largest electronic health record (EHR) platform in the United States, enabling physicians to document and access medical records, review patient medical histories and medication habits, and prescribe medications anytime and anywhere. The system also automatically verifies prescription content to prevent serious consequences resulting from human error.

Companies represented by Availity have established a payment data exchange platform that connects physician practices on one end and various health insurance providers on the other, enabling automated underwriting, payment, and settlement processes. This has improved operational efficiency and reimbursement rates for clinics while also providing value-added services such as data analytics to insurance institutions. Currently, Availity is one of the largest electronic health information networks in the United States, with annual transaction volumes exceeding several billion dollars.

Leveraging mobile internet technology can also enhance information exchange among physicians and improve team collaboration efficiency. For instance, physicians can use Athena Coordinator to quickly and conveniently relay instructions to their teams, laboratories, pharmacies, medical imaging centers, and surgical centers.

The need for independent practitioners to stay at the forefront of medical advances and enhance their clinical skills and expertise can also be met through services provided by companies such as UpToDate. UpToDate is an evidence-based clinical decision support system, with content authored by its editors-in-chief and more than 3,000 physicians. The literature includes figures, X-rays, photographs, imaging files, and MEDLINE-cited abstracts. Physicians can access real-time evidence-based medicine and clinical healthcare information, rapidly obtaining answers to cutting-edge clinical questions.

At this point, readers may raise objections: the examples cited above are all products from U.S. companies, and some management and service-oriented solutions may not be suitable for promotion and adoption in China. So, does China have its own domestic products to help independently practicing physicians work more effectively and efficiently?

Here is a tool that enables physicians to conveniently collect, manage, retrieve, and share medical records anytime and anywhere using their smartphones. It also facilitates seamless collaboration and mutual assistance among peers, while allowing for efficient patient follow-up and management. This tool is called “Bingli Jia” (Medical Record Folder). It is a free app with remarkably powerful features:

1. Rapid Recording, Intelligent Recognition
The medical record folder supports multimedia documentation, including text, images, audio, and video. It pioneers efficient data entry through Chinese medical speech recognition, capable of identifying over 500,000 specialized medical terms. Leveraging cloud-based OCR technology, all medical records captured via smartphone photos are converted into text within 48 hours with 100% accuracy. Medical records, imaging studies, test results, and personal analyses for the same patient are consolidated in one place, eliminating the need for cumbersome organization.

2. Worry-Free Follow-Up, Convenient Communication
By clicking the follow-up button in the Medical Record Folder, physicians can generate a QR code. Patients can scan the code using WeChat and follow the “Xingshulin Cloud Ward” account to participate in follow-up visits, while physicians need not worry about the leakage of their contact information. Furthermore, the Medical Record Folder allows for customized personalized follow-up plans and intelligent management of patient relationships, enabling automated follow-ups, improving treatment adherence, and enhancing physicians’ professional reputation. In January 2015, the Medical Record Folder became the first mobile app in China used to conduct clinical follow-up studies. The research findings by Dr. Li Qiang’s team from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital of Jilin Province were published in a core journal under the Chinese Medical Association series.

3. Discussion of Medical Conditions and Peer Exchange
Physicians can not only access medical records anytime and anywhere, but also easily transfer and share them with colleagues. This facilitates cross-disciplinary consultations and the management of complex cases, while also serving as a valuable tool for medical education, thereby promoting the collective professional advancement of physicians.

4. Cloud-Edge Collaboration, Privacy and Security
The Medical Record Folder is accessible on computers, smartphones, and tablets. Cloud computing technology automatically synchronizes data and creates multiple backups, ensuring that medical records are never lost. The Medical Record Folder provides unlimited storage space, eliminating concerns about capacity. Furthermore, its design complies with U.S. HIPAA standards, safeguarding patient privacy and data security.
By using the app “Bingli Jia” (Medical Record Folder), freelance physicians can achieve the aforementioned multiple objectives. It effortlessly facilitates closer doctor–patient relationships, patient acquisition and retention, medical record collection and management, and enhanced collaboration among peers. Bingli Jia not only makes physicians’ work easier and more flexible, but also helps them make full use of fragmented time, thereby fundamentally improving work efficiency.

Decades ago, the invention of printers and copiers revolutionized global office practices. Today, I believe that the development of mobile health will likewise bring about a major transformation in healthcare delivery. Whether it is through Bingli Jia or Xingshulin, we are committed to devoting our utmost efforts and remaining steadfast in this endeavor.