Baidu Internet Healthcare Business Overview and Product Portfolio

Baidu, the last to be founded among China’s three internet giants known as BAT, has also drawn the most criticism and vitriol, much of which is related to healthcare.

As is well known, Baidu built its foundation on search services, enabling nearly every industry to ignite unprecedented sparks with the internet through that small search box. The healthcare sector is no exception; facilitated by Baidu as a medium, medical information has become ubiquitous. However, under the impact of the internet, this sensitive industry has seen its authority and professionalism severely challenged, leading to widespread questioning and criticism directed at Baidu.

Therefore, for Baidu, the top priority is to address the lack of professionalism in medical information.

In 2010, Baidu partnered with the medical information platform “Haodf Online” to invite thousands of chief physicians from Grade A tertiary hospitals to compile medical entries.

Two years later, in September 2012, Baidu Baike launched the “Rainbow Project,” locking 40,000 common medical encyclopedia entries and granting editing and revision rights exclusively to certified authoritative experts, while ordinary users were barred from participating in edits.

In May 2013, six months later, Baidu entered into a strategic partnership with Baike Mingyi Network—the sole designated website for the National Health and Family Planning Commission’s Clinical Physician Science Popularization Project—and the Health Science Popularization Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The collaboration involved organizing authoritative academicians and over one hundred experts from renowned Grade A tertiary hospitals across China to jointly compile disease-related entries for Baidu Baike, thereby helping users obtain authoritative medical information through Baidu Search.

At the same time as launching the "Rainbow Project," Baidu also made its initial foray into the online healthcare sector.

In September 2012, two years after initially collaborating on medical encyclopedia entries with Haodf.com, the partnership was renewed. This initiative primarily focuses on delivering high-quality, authoritative medical content from the Haodf platform to users, providing a one-stop premium service that includes medical knowledge, expert consultations, and patient community interactions.

Nearly a year later, on June 19, 2013, Baidu launched its proprietary online healthcare product, the “Yiqian Intelligent Consultation Platform.” This product primarily leveraged expert resources and case-based Q&A content from Baidu Zhidao, along with data from seven medical and health websites: Haodf.com, 39 Health Network, Xunyi Wenyao Network, Youwen Bida Network, Yuer.com, China Baby Care Network, and BabyTree. It aimed to help users gain a preliminary understanding of their conditions through Baidu’s case library before seeking medical attention, thereby avoiding blind or delayed consultations. Surprisingly, the initial customized parameters for seeking medical advice—such as gender, demographic group, and symptoms—are no longer available, and most answers are now provided by netizens.

Initial Product Interface

Current Product Interface

However, the launch of “Baidu Health” in a month may dispel this uncertainty. Unlike previous minor initiatives, this is a brand-new medical consultation platform developed by Baidu, designed primarily to provide hundreds of thousands of patients with a comprehensive suite of healthcare solutions—including hospital search, physician consultations, appointment scheduling, and post-visit feedback. Currently, it covers 14 medical specialties and 16,000 hospitals.

Baidu Health

Moreover, Baidu Health is targeting paid medical promotion slots, which account for 30% of Baidu’s revenue, demonstrating its determination to rectify online marketing practices across the private healthcare sector. In addition, Baidu Health’s review system functions similarly to public commentary platforms; reviews cannot be deleted by anyone other than the original author, including Baidu’s internal staff.

One year later, in October 2014, the web version of Baidu Doctor was launched, allowing users to find doctors, consult with them, and provide evaluations on the platform.

Baidu Doctor

Baidu Doctor has currently launched an appointment registration service, through which users can select a department and a physician, schedule a consultation time, and book appointments with up to three physicians. Baidu Doctor now covers six provinces: Fujian, Hubei, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, and Anhui. In addition, Baidu Doctor has disclosed that it has established a partnership with Stanford Hospital, enabling users to access global healthcare services. The mobile version was launched in January 2015.

In February 2013, Baidu integrated its official databases. It entered into a strategic partnership with the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), which granted Baidu access to its drug database, database of model drug package inserts, and database of certified websites authorized to sell drugs directly to consumers. Leveraging data from the NMPA, Baidu simultaneously launched three safe medication products: Certified Drug Search, Encyclopedia Entries for Model Drug Package Inserts, and Certified Online Pharmacy Search.

One year later, on April 24, 2014, Baidu officially launched its Big Data Engine, opening up its three core components—“Open Cloud,” “Data Factory,” and “Baidu Brain”—and pioneered collaborations in traditional sectors such as government, healthcare, and finance. This marked the world’s first big data engine made available to external developers.

On July 6, 2014, following its urban forecasting, tourist attraction forecasting, college entrance examination forecasting, and FIFA World Cup forecasting services, Baidu Prediction officially launched its Disease Prediction product. The service provides data on activity levels, activity indices, and trend charts for 12 diseases, including hand-foot-and-mouth disease, influenza, AIDS, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases. It also offers city- and hospital-specific rankings related to various diseases. Users can access historical data from the past 30 days and view predictive trends for the next seven days. Currently, future trend predictions are available for all 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China, with certain cities and provinces even refined to specific commercial districts.

Baidu Disease Prediction

One month later, on August 18, a big data collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was launched in the fields of environmental protection and health.

Subsequently, at the Baidu Big Data Forum held during the Baidu World Conference on September 3, a new initiative to support the healthcare industry—Baidu Medical Brain—was publicly announced. As a specialized application of Baidu Brain in the medical field, it integrates advanced technologies such as big data mining, natural language understanding, image and speech analysis, and machine learning algorithms with vast amounts of data from traditional medical institutions. This enables Baidu Medical Brain to deliver significant value in personal health management (health assessment/intelligent preliminary diagnosis), medical big data research (disease analysis/pharmaceutical analysis), and public health management (disease prediction/population health).

Baidu Medical Brain

Currently, Baidu Medical Brain has been applied to Baidu’s Disease Prediction platform and the Kangzhi Dermatologist app launched by Xiangyun Medical. In the future, Baidu Medical Brain will be extended to more fields and products, introducing additional healthcare-related services and unleashing greater value in personal health management, medical big data research, and public health management support.

Baidu’s current healthcare segment also places significant emphasis on “hardware” for the collection and analysis of health data, with its initial foray into hardware dating back to 2013.

On June 26, Baidu Cloud partnered with Codoon to launch a smart wearable device called the “Codoon Band.” It primarily features three functions: “exercise status alerts,” “sleep monitoring,” and “smart silent wake-up.” Additionally, by integrating with Baidu Cloud, the band can transmit recorded data in real time to the Baidu cloud platform, allowing users to access their information at any time.

Codoon Smart Band

Later that year, Baidu launched Dulife, a brand for intelligent wearable devices, characterized by its integration of Baidu Cloud services and co-branded licensing. Alongside the Dulife devices, the Dulife platform was introduced. By embedding Baidu’s SDK into devices such as smart bands and smart scales to connect with Baidu Cloud, the platform aggregates data from all of a user’s smart devices. Through data analysis and processing, it provides health solutions spanning various domains, including fitness, beauty, sleep, and diet.

dulife

The collaboration model entails the manufacturer providing hardware production technology, while Baidu delivers service solutions and marketing promotion. All user health data is stored in the cloud, leveraging Baidu Big Data’s intelligent collection, analysis, and processing strategies (the healthcare segment of DuLife has been transferred to Big Data) to achieve the goal of collecting “user health slow data.”

On July 23, 2014, Baidu and the Beijing Municipal Government jointly launched the “Beijing Health Cloud,” marking the world’s first implemented smart health management project. Baidu Health Cloud became an integral part of the “Beijing Health Cloud” initiative. By integrating upstream smart hardware and software service providers and leveraging Baidu’s big data processing and analytics capabilities, the platform provides citizens with lifestyle and health management services, thereby reducing healthcare expenditures for both individuals and the nation.

Beijing Health Cloud

It should also be noted that Baidu Health Cloud is not a free service. For instance, the monthly fee for hypertension guidance services is RMB 20, and the monthly fee for remote ECG monitoring services is RMB 100. However, promotional discounts are offered during the initial launch phase, including campaigns where prepayment of service fees entitles users to complimentary smart medical hardware.

The Beijing Municipal Government has also been successively establishing Health Cloud Experience Centers in the Xicheng, Dongcheng, Chaoyang, and Haidian districts. Initially, these centers were equipped with eight types of devices, including smart wristbands, blood pressure monitors, electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, weighing scales, and body fat analyzers. Within the year, the range of intelligent hardware was expanded to over thirty models, adding devices such as thermometers, blood glucose meters, skin testers, and breathalyzers.

Based on the aforementioned internet healthcare initiatives, compared with Alibaba’s “high-stakes gamble” in 2014, Baidu has adopted a more steady and pragmatic approach, focusing on the integration of smart hardware, online medical services, and big data. The competition among BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) to capture greater market share has intensified since 2015, turning into an increasingly fierce race.

Baidu’s 2015 strategy also expanded from “connecting people with information” to “connecting people with services.” Its moves in the healthcare sector became exceptionally rapid, with new initiatives launched nearly every week.

In January 2015, Baidu officially established its Mobile Healthcare Division, primarily to integrate its existing mobile health and mobile medical services.

On January 15, 2015, Baidu partnered with the PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital) to jointly establish an O2O service model in the healthcare sector. Leveraging the hospital’s medical expertise, technical resources, and strong reputation, Baidu complemented these assets with its big data processing capabilities and platform access advantages. While the initial phase focused on co-building an online healthcare service platform, the ultimate objective was to create a future-oriented “internet hospital.” This initiative aimed to develop more than just a self-service online consultation platform; it sought to effectively integrate Baidu’s robust big data infrastructure to address diverse patient healthcare needs.

On January 28, 2015, Baidu launched the mobile version of Baidu Doctor, making a comprehensive entry into the mobile healthcare O2O sector. The mobile platform of Baidu Doctor provides users with a closed-loop service encompassing finding doctors, scheduling appointments, and rating physicians. Currently, the Baidu Doctor APP has implemented an artificial intelligence system that performs identification and computational analysis based on patient-inputted requirements, recommending the three most suitable doctors to each patient. This closed-loop service model is poised to help Baidu accumulate a substantial user base.

In early February 2015, Baidu announced the joint launch of the first authoritative public education platform on the new healthcare reform with the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Reportedly, the platform integrates multiple premium resources under Baidu, aiming to present the complex content of the new healthcare reform to the general public in a clear and accessible manner. Meanwhile, it is also the first authoritative national platform for public education on the new healthcare reform in China.

On February 15, Baidu made a $60 million strategic investment in Health Road (Yihu.com). Through this strategic investment, Baidu will provide Yihu.com with technical support in image and speech recognition, human-computer interaction, big data, and artificial intelligence. The two parties will jointly explore O2O service models and innovative operational models in the healthcare sector. Meanwhile, Baidu will leverage this opportunity to integrate online and offline medical services.

Strategically investing in Yihuwang effectively integrates both patients and healthcare providers onto a single platform. It is well known that even before its acquisition, Yihuwang had established deep collaborations with 300 Grade A tertiary hospitals in areas such as appointment registration, patient guidance, triage, and referrals, while also partnering extensively with over 50,000 physicians. Its new service, “Micro-Triage,” has rapidly expanded to cover 500 Grade A tertiary hospitals. By acquiring Yihuwang, Baidu can address its shortcomings in medical resources, enriching its dual-selection platform for doctors and patients with comprehensive hospital and physician information, appointment scheduling, and other outpatient services. Meanwhile, Yihuwang’s offline service team can enhance the overall medical experience for users.

On March 3, during the 2015 Two Sessions, Baidu’s Robin Li proposed fully opening up hospital appointment registration slots and also suggested establishing the “China Brain” initiative to drive leapfrog development in artificial intelligence.

On March 11, it was revealed that Baidu’s cutting-edge technology might soon unveil another groundbreaking product. Reportedly, the company is applying for a patent for an anti-smog smart helmet that employs a globally first-of-its-kind “air curtain” technology to effectively purify the air around the wearer’s face. The product is currently in the laboratory prototype testing phase. Once successfully developed, the helmet is expected to make outdoor cycling in smoggy conditions healthier for users.

On March 18, Baidu’s “Ask a Doctor” platform officially launched the Morning Light Initiative. Twenty-five Grade A tertiary hospitals, including Peking University First Hospital, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, and Peking University Cancer Hospital, have collectively joined the platform to jointly build the most authoritative online medical Q&A community, providing patients with reliable answers to their health-related questions.

In March 2015, Baidu Zhidao’s “Ask a Doctor” service was renamed “Thumb Doctor.” On April 3, 2015, the Android version of the Thumb Doctor app was launched. It provides professional online Q&A services delivered by certified practicing physicians from public hospitals, covering health basics, disease knowledge, and pre-consultation advice, thereby helping users address health and disease-related issues in a timely, accurate, and professional manner. By the end of May 2015, the platform had more than 5,000 active online physicians and had cumulatively assisted 36 million patients.

Thumb Doctor

On March 24, Baidu partnered with Juyi160. For Baidu, this collaboration significantly alleviates the existing asymmetry in medical information, not only improving efficiency, reducing resource waste, and optimizing user experience, but also tangibly enhancing doctor-patient relationships. Meanwhile, through upgrades in internet technology, it avoids unnecessary hassles such as time-consuming and labor-intensive queuing and ineffective consultations. Furthermore, leveraging Baidu’s mobile healthcare platform for provider display and evaluation systems, patients can identify reliable and satisfactory physicians and establish long-term, in-depth relationships with them.

On April 14, Baidu launched “Yao Zhida,” a product tailored for online-to-offline (O2O) pharmaceutical services. As a specialized offering under Baidu’s “Zhida Hao” platform, “Yao Zhida” follows a similar operational model to its parent service. (Note: Baidu Zhida Hao is an official service account for merchants on Baidu’s mobile platform. It enables customers to access merchant services anytime and anywhere through mobile search, account integration, maps, personalized recommendations, and other channels.) By partnering with pharmacies, Yao Zhida provides users with medication search capabilities and access to nearby pharmacies for purchases, while the pharmacies offer consultation and delivery services. Reportedly, third-party delivery partners will be integrated in the future to address pharmacy delivery challenges. Yao Zhida is poised to become a new platform-based e-commerce traffic gateway, following Tmall Pharmacy and Ali Health.

Yaozhida

From April 15 to April 21, during China’s National Cancer Prevention and Control Publicity Week, Baidu partnered with CCTV to launch the news special “Cancer in Numbers.” This marks another contribution by Baidu Big Data to public-interest journalism, following a series of big-data news reports such as “Spring Festival Travel Rush in Data,” “Spring Festival in Data,” and “Decoding the Two Sessions” since January 2014.

In late April, following the establishment of a strategic partnership with Beijing 301 Hospital (PLA General Hospital), Baidu Healthcare signed phased strategic cooperation agreements with three other top-tier hospitals within a single day: Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, and China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing. Baidu Healthcare will assist these hospitals in building comprehensive platforms for patient data collection and medical big data analysis. Leveraging the vast volume and precise computational capabilities of Baidu’s big data, the initiative aims to support clinical medical research, aggregate high-quality medical resources, and substantially enhance the medical expertise and services provided by hospitals and physicians.

In late May, Baidu Doctor achieved breakthroughs on multiple fronts in the internet healthcare sector. It not only launched physician appointment services in Shaanxi and Anhui provinces within a single day but also signed an agreement with Guizhou Langma Information to jointly enter the healthcare market. Langma Information will fully integrate medical resources on its Guiyang “Internet+ Hospital” platform to establish a tiered online medical service capability system. Baidu will collaborate on building the platform, including PC and mobile access points, and enable the sharing of expert resources between both parties through this platform. Together, they will implement platform functionalities such as online expert consultations, remote diagnosis and treatment, a cloud platform for sharing laboratory test results, payment processing, and chronic disease management, thereby providing patients with one-stop medical services.

In just four months since its mobile launch, Baidu Doctor has comprehensively expanded its services across multiple provinces and cities, onboarded top-tier public hospitals, and integrated resources from third-party platforms, making its strategic layout in mobile healthcare increasingly clear.

From a holistic strategic perspective, Baidu demonstrates a significantly greater emphasis on the healthcare sector compared to Alibaba and Tencent, whose medical expansions rely primarily on their proprietary products (WeChat and Alipay Wallet).

Its primary focus has consistently been on data infrastructure development. From foundational search data related to symptom-based medical consultations and medication inquiries, to later initiatives such as Baidu Zhidao (Baidu Knows) and Baidu Baike (Baidu Encyclopedia), and further to its 2013 strategic move into wearable smart hardware and the preparation for a Health Cloud platform, as well as its data and information collaborations with the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), it is evident that Baidu’s core emphasis has been on collecting, organizing, and analyzing healthcare and medical data, thereby delivering innovative, customized health services.

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