Smart Medical Treatment
From big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence to the mobile internet, new technologies are transforming almost every facet of daily life. Medical treatment is a crucial need for everyone. What will healthcare be like in the future? China is exploring the possibilities for innovation.
Generally, smart medical treatment falls into a handful of categories. Firstly, the technology of big data is being used in the medical sector. In 2015, China’s State Council issued a framework plan of national medical treatment service system for next 6 years (2015-2020). According to the plan, China will set up a national electronic healthcare and medical history database. The database will greatly enhance hospital management and analysis of medical situations of the whole population. Secondly, hospitals are getting smarter. Chinese woes related to medical treatment are partly caused by inefficient and low- quality medical services. Hospitals in China are implementing pilot projects to build smart hospitals. They have launched mobile platforms and provided online services to patients, bringing dramatic changes to previous processes. Thirdly, new technologies are being applied in medical treatment. Advanced technologies related to artificial intelligence such as the
smart speech recognition system and smart medical image detection are flourishing and helping medical treatment. Machines are sometimes more accurate than even the most experienced doctors. Fourthly, advanced biological technologies are being applied to the research and development of new medicines.
The thriving industry has been propelled by many pioneers. Yu Jianfeng, CEO of Zhuojian Tech, is a doctor in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University. Amazed by the attractive future of smart medical treatment, he started his own company in 2011. Now its products provide online medical consultation and diagnoses, create mobile hospitals and provide online medical training. “Mobile hospital” refers to an app through which patients can make an appointment, find where to go, check test results and make payments. All of these processes can now be completed on a smartphone. On the doctor version of the app, the doctor can make diagnoses, search for the medical knowledge they need, check and change shifts, ar- range and manage their patients and more. Yu’s goal is to make as many medical services as possible fit in your hand.
Many leading innovators in artificial intelligence are also eyeing and cashing in on smart medical treatment. For instance, iflytek, a company renowned for its advanced technology in speech recognition, is applying its technology in hospitals. It has created software to filter noise, transcribe doctors’ discussions with patients and send doctors the medical literature they need to make their work easier. When doctors’ hands are occupied such as during a surgery, they can use the device developed by iflytek to record voice and produce automated notes. Moreover, the company’s software also organizes recordings and produces standard patient history.
This promising sector is attracting greater attention. With surging ideas and cutting-edge technologies, medical treatment will soon become more convenient, cheaper and healthier overall.