Doctors can use a smartphone to operate a remote clinic system.

Internet medical care not only relates to people’s lives but also touches upon the development of emerging sectors. Hundreds of large and medium-sized hospitals have established internet clinics so that people can monitor their health and conveniently complete registration, diagnosis and payment. Venture investment in this field is also increasing. China has released guidelines and plans in recent years to encourage its development, but there is a lack of specific policies, laws and regulations. Better development of internet healthcare requires stakeholders to clarify awareness, strengthen institutions and make guiding policies.

Online healthcare is developing rapidly, but its nature is obscure due to an understanding dispute over medical resources. Some believe that online healthcare stresses the establishment of platforms to meet patient demands and facilitate communication with doctors. The approach tends to challenge the central position of hospitals. Others put traditional medical resources at the core and emphasizes the role of the internet in driving medical development.

As an emerging sector in its initial stage, online healthcare is undergoing constant changes and rash decision-making may curb its development. Problems caused by online healthcare require close examination and management. New opinions on development and guidelines of the “internet plus” strategy released by the State Council will undoubtedly optimize the sector.

Furthermore, we should pay greater attention to the opportunities for medical reform that online healthcare presents. Domestic reform has entered a crucial stage following the implementation of a series of measures, such as hierarchical medical care, division of diagnosis and medicine as well as the establishment of hospitals run by social organizations. It needs to adopt such new technologies as the internet of things, cloud computing and big data to advance reform.

In the future, medical care will be individualized and highly targeted. At present, the fusion of the internet and big data is creating a new pattern within the medical system, which is parallel to the development of the medical industry. Widespread adoption of these new technologies requires related departments to set up corresponding mechanisms and encourage internet thinking.

Maldistribution of medical resources and a lack of excellent medical resources are obstacles to the process of domestic medical reform. Internet healthcare can achieve the balanced and efficient allocation of quality medical resources while expanding access to medically underdeveloped areas, helping to alleviate the distribution problems and form a hierarchical healthcare system.

At present, most services offered by internet healthcare, such as health consultation and online registration, still fail to touch upon the central business of medical industry. It is crucial to make a use of technological breakthroughs and direct medical resources to flow into the internet sector targeting the key points of medical system, thus promoting the deep fusion of information technology and medical industry.

The article was translated from People’s Daily.