Tianjin Digital Health Community Honored as a '2023 Exemplary Innovation Case for Healthy China'

On November 18, the 16th China Health Service Industry Conference and the 14th National Academic Conference on Health Management of the Chinese Medical Association, hosted by the Health Management Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, were held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Among the “2023 Healthy China Innovative Practice Cases” released at the conference, the case submitted by Tianjin Weiyi Internet Hospital, under the guidance of the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission, stood out from entries across the country and was honored as a “Typical Case of Innovative Practice for Healthy China 2023.” Bai Yu, Vice President of Weiyi Group and Dean of Tianjin Heping Weiyi Hospital, attended the event and accepted the award on behalf of Weiyi Group.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, President of the Red Cross Society of China, and终身 Professor at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Chen Zhu; Executive Deputy Director of the Office of the Leading Group for the Healthy China Initiative under the National Health Commission and Director of the Department of Planning, Development, and Informatization of the National Health Commission, Mao Qun’an; Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Medical Association, Wang Jian; President of the Chinese Health Economics Association and Member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Rao Keqin; Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chief Scientist of the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure Project on Ultra-Weak Magnetic Fields, Fang Jiancheng, and other leaders and experts attended the conference.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Professor Guo Qing, Chairman of the Health Management Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and member of the “Expert Steering Committee on Health Promotion and Health Education” under the National Health Commission, delivered an address and presented the Chairman’s Report titled “Advancing the Construction of a Healthy China and Enhancing Health Management Capabilities.” The report systematically summarized the significant achievements made by the Branch and the industry in areas such as organizational development, disciplinary advancement, key special projects, talent system construction, science popularization, and academic exchange, fully demonstrating the vibrant and upward trajectory of the health management discipline.

The conference also invited over one hundred experts and scholars in the fields of health and healthcare to share their insights. Discussions centered on hot topics such as the latest practices and connotative development models of the health service industry and health management discipline, the scientific establishment and improvement of health management service systems, talent cultivation and research innovation, new achievements in high-quality health management for the prevention and control of major chronic diseases, the latest outcomes of 5G-enabled “early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment” health management applications, and innovative supply of health science popularization knowledge. The event attracted more than 5,000 participants from within and outside the industry, with over 5,000 academic and science popularization papers submitted, making it one of the largest conferences since its inception.

To implement the “Healthy China Action (2019–2030),” continuously explore and promote practical cases of the Healthy China Action, summarize innovative approaches and advanced experiences from various regions and entities, and comprehensively advance the building of a Healthy China, the “2023 Healthy China Innovative Practice Case Showcase,” hosted by People’s Daily Online·People’s Health under the guidance of the Office of the Steering Committee for the Healthy China Action, previously solicited submissions nationwide. The selection results were announced at this conference. The case submitted by Tianjin Weiyi Internet Hospital, under the guidance of the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission, titled “Building a Digital Tianjin Healthcare Service System Through ‘Four Clouds,’” was recommended as a “Typical Case of Innovative Practices in the 2023 Healthy China Action (Grassroots Health Management Practices).”

Also selected were 31 cases submitted by the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Jiangsu Province People’s Hospital, Beijing Physical Examination Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Chengdu Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital, and others.

In January 2020, as a major initiative by the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government to promote the implementation of the “Healthy Tianjin Action,” the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government signed the “Strategic Cooperation Agreement on Digital Health” with WeDoctor Group, launching the construction of the “Digital Health Community,” which is health-centered and digitally integrates medical care, health insurance, and pharmaceutical services. Under the leadership of the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission, Tianjin WeDoctor Internet Hospital collaborated with 266 primary healthcare institutions across the city to establish a closely-knit digital medical consortium—the Tianjin Digital Health Community. By empowering primary care through the “Four Clouds” platform and jointly establishing offline standardized chronic disease management centers with primary healthcare institutions, it provides Tianjin residents with integrated online and offline medical and health services covering “prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management, and wellness.” During the development of the Tianjin Digital Health Community, a working mechanism featuring unified management, homogeneous services, shared benefits, and joint responsibility has been gradually established.

Over the past three years, under the guidance of the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission, the Tianjin Digital Health Community has continuously strengthened the foundation for the “integration” of primary healthcare services across the city. It provides “one-stop” services to community residents at their local primary healthcare institutions, achieving remarkable results in enhancing the service capacity of primary healthcare facilities in Tianjin, strengthening tiered diagnosis and treatment, reshaping medical service processes and management models, and supporting lifecycle health management for Tianjin citizens. Due to its innovative model and outstanding social impact in implementing the diabetes prevention and control actions under the “Healthy China Action,” the Tianjin Digital Health Community was selected as a Tianjin “Internet + Healthcare” demonstration project by the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission in 2020. In the same year, guided by the Department of System Reform and the Department of Publicity of the National Health Commission, Tianjin ranked first among the “Top Ten New Measures to Advance Healthcare Reform and Serve People’s Health” for its initiative of “innovatively building the ‘Four Clouds’ platform to promote the development of the grassroots digital health community.” In 2021, the Chronic Disease Management Center of the Tianjin Digital Health Community was once again selected as a “Smart Healthcare Service Demonstration Project” by the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission.

Tianjin’s Digital Health Community Initiatives Have Repeatedly Won Accolades, Fully Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Its Practices in “Strengthening Primary Care” and “Empowering Grassroots Services.” A relevant official from the Tianjin Municipal Health Commission stated that, going forward, the Digital Health Community will fully leverage the advantages of its digital platform, further advance the development of the “Four Clouds,” comprehensively enhance the public’s sense of gain and satisfaction with medical services, and better meet the people’s growing demand for healthcare services.