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The domestic mobile healthcare market scale will continue to expand in 2015.

With the gradual deepening of medical reform, the pace of building healthcare information technology is also accelerating. Recently, regarding the construction of healthcare information technology, Wang Di, deputy secretary-general of the China Information Association, pointed out that the key to promoting the construction of healthcare information technology is to establish unified information technology standards, ensuring the smooth flow of various information across different levels and departments, and on this basis, integrating and enhancing the dispersed information systems in various regions. Currently, 80% of hospitals in China have implemented management information systems. The core of healthcare information technology construction is to achieve information sharing between patients and medical institutions, among various departments within hospitals, between hospitals, and between hospitals and communities, medical insurance departments, and health administrative departments. Therefore, experts believe that the current tasks of healthcare information technology construction in China mainly include promoting the construction of hospital information networks, actively developing telemedicine services for urban and remote areas, forming a nationally unified medical information network, quickly issuing feasible plans for the transfer and connection of medical insurance, achieving cross-regional settlement for medical services, and promoting the construction of regional health information platforms. Clarifying the scope and standards of basic medical services mainly considers three aspects: first, to define the scope of basic medical insurance benefits, ensuring that employees can receive appropriate treatment technologies and medical services that are affordable and available when they are ill, providing basic medical security for employees; second, to control the expenditure of basic medical insurance funds, maximizing the utility of limited basic medical insurance funds; third, to strengthen the management of medical services. The scope and standards of basic medical services should include the basic medical insurance drug catalog, diagnosis and treatment items, standards for medical service facilities, and their management methods. Traditional medical services (hospitals, pharmacies) mainly reflect "standalone solutions," while mobile medical solutions have greater medical resources and can provide better services for patients. It is expected that the domestic mobile medical market size will increase to 4.2 billion yuan in 2015 and reach 12.5 billion yuan in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of over 50% from 2013 to 2017. Compared to traditional medical models, mobile medical services have significant advantages both clinically and economically: the emergency and inpatient department visit rates can decrease by 15%-30%, the overall utilization rate of the healthcare system can reduce by 20%-40%, and the number of readmissions can be halved. Currently, domestic mobile medical services are still in the initial stage, mainly relying on profit models such as advertising, value-added services, and online consultations. In 2013, the market size of peripheral services related to mobile medical (health consultation) reached 1.3 billion yuan, while the market size for mobile diagnostic services was only 250 million yuan, and treatment services were merely 200 million yuan. The management of chronic diseases is the reason most patients (or doctors) choose mobile medical services, and the market will continue to expand.

2018-04-04

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Jointly tackling the "growing pains" of medical devices.

In recent years, the innovation level of domestic medical devices has improved, but the original innovation capability remains insufficient, and the Chinese medical device market is still dominated by imported products. What exactly is restricting the "rise" of domestic medical devices? Reporters interviewed several members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and relevant industry personnel to assess the innovation and development of domestic medical devices. Huo Yong, a member of the National Committee and chairman of the Cardiovascular Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, introduced, "China has not yet mastered the overall original products in medical devices. For example, although domestic stents have occupied 3/4 of the market share since 2013, the original products are not in our hands; we have only made some local or detailed improvements." Huo Yong said that while companies may have good ideas for medical device production, they do not understand the clinical needs and shortcomings in application as well as doctors do. Improving the innovation level of domestic medical devices requires collective effort; doctors should not be mere spectators. Huo Yong suggested that supportive policies should be introduced, and research funding should be invested to encourage clinical doctors to participate in the research and development of medical devices. "Currently, Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital has conducted beneficial explorations, where the hospital stipulates that the innovative achievements of doctors belong to themselves, and 80% of the benefits generated go to the doctors personally." "The Chinese medical device market is still dominated by imported products. Even high-quality and reasonably priced domestic medical devices have a low proportion of entering hospitals. For example, the dental implants at Peking University School of Stomatology are mainly imported," said Yu Guangyan, a member of the National Committee and former president of Peking University School of Stomatology. There are multiple reasons for this, such as some manufacturers or sales departments providing poor after-sales service, and patients and their families preferring to use imported medical devices. Yu Guangyan suggested that China should introduce policies to promote the development of the domestic medical device industry, such as establishing research funds for domestic medical device R&D, vigorously supporting product development of related enterprises, and strengthening research cooperation between enterprises and medical researchers. At the same time, it is also necessary to enhance the awareness of medical staff, patients, and their families regarding the use of domestic medical devices through medical insurance policy adjustments and media promotion. Additionally, although the quality of domestic equipment has significantly improved compared to the past, there is still a lack of comprehensive quality evaluation reports. Jiao Yahui, director of the Medical Resource Department of the Medical Administration Bureau of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, pointed out that the medical device field currently lacks scientific, objective, and fair quality evaluation reports, which are crucial for decision-making by health administrative departments. Jiao Hong, a member of the National Committee and deputy director of the National Medical Products Administration, stated that the administration is vigorously promoting the construction of enterprise quality systems. "After-sales service for medical devices, continuous quality tracking, etc., are all included in the enterprise quality system." Improving the quality of medical devices requires mutual promotion among enterprises, users, and regulatory parties to achieve common goals. Chi Hui, deputy director of the Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, introduced that there is currently a serious shortage of regulatory talent in China's medical device sector. The government should increase support, strengthen the talent team and capacity building of medical device regulatory departments at all levels, increase staffing, and expand the team of administrative regulatory personnel for medical devices to enhance the quality monitoring of domestic medical devices.

2018-04-04

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