China's health authority is urging hospitals in the country to integrate internet use into their medical practices. The central government's latest guideline vows to uphold an "internet plus health" concept in its medical reform. Wu Guoxiu hears from the National Health Commission, as it holds a press conference in a Beijing hospital.

This telemedicine system allows patients and doctors from underdeveloped areas to meet the country's best doctors, who are based in Beijing. The connected health program has been in place for years. Now the central government wants it developed and extended further.

JIAO YAHUI VICE DIRECTOR, HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT DEPT. NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION "The next step is we'll promote developing a telemedicine system. It will allow people in remote provinces, counties, and villages, to see the best doctors in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, without stepping out of their home."

Over half of Beijing's China-Japan Friendship Hospital's patients come from areas outside the capital. Motivated by the government, this hospital is creating an online version of itself, which can diagnose certain illnesses and hand out prescriptions.

LU QINGJUN, DIRECTOR NATIONAL TELEMEDICINE & CONNECTED HEALTHCARE CENTER "For example, if one patient is diagnosed with a common disease at our outpatient departments, he can go back home with a prescription and our doctors can follow their status online. They can also get medicine delivered to their home. Our online hospital will be built on the basis of our telemedicine system."

For years, China's medical reform has aimed to improve the quality and efficiency of its medical service easing the tension caused by an unbalanced distribution of medical resources. The health authority intends to issue detailed online hospital regulations by May. The regulation will be the first of its kind, but it's expected to kick-start a major change in peoples' doctor-seeing habit.

WU GUOXIU BEIJING "China's Internet-plus Health plan points to where the country's medical reform is heading. It aims to make it more convenient to see doctors, at hospitals or even at home. The health authority and experts expect this to bring big changes to China's medical sector. WUGUOXIU, CGTN, BEIJING."

Links:China Medical Reform: Authority: 'Internet plus health' to bring big changes to medical sector