The North Branch of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine opened an online hospital on June 26 in an effort to enhance the effectiveness of modern healthcare.
Hospital authorities said that not all patients are suitable for online treatment, such as patients with bone trauma. The online hospital only offers services for patients with common and chronic diseases who received diagnoses and treatment at the offline hospital within the past two months.
The internet hospital currently has five departments: hypertension, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general surgery, and dermatology.
Patients are required to follow the hospital's official WeChat account (RJ-HospitalNorth) and upload their ID photo for real-name registration. Doctors can provide patients with online medical diagnoses, treatments, health consultations, drugs, and other medical services.
Gu Zhidong, deputy dean of the North Branch of Ruijin Hospital, said that the online healthcare services provide patients with quicker and more efficient treatment, including the ability to retrieve medicine and medical insurance.
Gu added that it reduces the time it takes for patients to receive treatment and prevents crowds from forming in hospitals. It also improves the efficiency of medical services and increases patient satisfaction.