Aug 18, 2020|

JD Health Launches “Family Doctor” Telehealth Services

Share:

by Vivian Yang

On August 18th, JD Health, the healthcare subsidiary of JD.com launched “family doctor” services based on an “internet +healthcare” model. This new type of telehealth service is tailored to the needs of an increasing number of Chinese families seeking more timely, consistent and comprehensive healthcare support. A launch ceremony was held at JD’s headquarters in Beijing on the day.

Lijun Xin, CEO of JD Health

Lijun Xin, CEO of JD Health

“The core value of the ‘family doctor’ product exists in that it can offer different medical service formats based on patients’ need and match medical resources more accurately. Gathering more quality medical resources around users is what is really needed now. This new experience and business model will set a new benchmark in this industry,” said Lijun Xin, CEO of JD Health.

Up to eight family members may share a “family doctor” service package which includes unlimited 24/7 online medical consultation support with immediate response from a general practitioner, medical consultation with experts within 48 hours, making face-to-face appointments with famous doctors from 3A hospitals (Chinese hospitals are classified into 3 tiers with tier three being the highest and each tier is further classified into A, B or C sub-tiers. 3A represents the top-tier hospital.), getting constant and personalized health management advice and more.

Getting access to doctors from high-level hospitals is not easy for many Chinese people. JD Health’s “family doctor” services present an alternative for them to quickly connect with medical specialists and leading doctors online and offline, whose timely feedback could be of great help to improve the effectiveness of treatment and reduce medical expenses.

As one of the fastest-growing internet healthcare platforms in China, JD Internet Hospital is already contracted with over 50,000 practicing physicians on its platform who respond to an average of more than 100,000 consultations on a daily basis. JD Health has also recruited about 300 full-time doctors working as the core team for the “family doctor” services. 92% of doctors have more than 10 years of clinical experience.

JD Health has also recruited about 300 full-time doctors working as the core team for the “family doctor” services.

Developing specialized medical centers is a key area for JD Health’s internet healthcare exploration. To date, the company has opened 14 specialized centers dedicated to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for several chronic health issues, such as the center for heart disease, ENT(ear, nose and throat), traditional Chinese medicine, and more. Nearly 100 renowned doctors have joined these centers.

At the same time, users can also book appointments via the “family doctor” service platform. It covers over 2,700 third-tier hospitals in large cities and 98% of 3A hospitals across China.

People who need special healthcare support such as pregnant women, elderlies who live alone, diabetes patients, and weight control patients, are good candidates for the “family doctor” program. Through making a personalized plan and adjusting it based on constant feedback from their doctors online, these patients can be more effective in achieving their health management goals.

One of the biggest benefits is that it can be used for individuals to manage their own health, as well as to have visibility into and be able to support health management for family members such as parents, from afar.

In addition to seeing doctors online or offline, users can buy medicine on JD’s platform and enjoy its fast delivery service. There are over 220,000 healthcare products on JD Health ranging from OTC drugs, medicines for chronic diseases, medical equipment, and nutrition products.

The “family doctor” product is developed on JD’s platform that is home to over 400 million active users. JD Health will further open up its service ability to the national primary health-care system with community doctors at the grassroots’ level. In the next five years, JD Health’s “family doctor” services aim to serve 50 million Chinese families, according to Xin.

Prof. Yu Xiaosong, chairman of the Chinese Society of General Practice

Prof. Yu Xiaosong, chairman of the Chinese Society of General Practice

Prof. Yu Xiaosong, chairman of the Chinese Society of General Practice said during the launch event that the Chinese government has been promoting the construction of contracted doctor services in recent years with some major progress. But there is still a big shortage of approximately 350,000 general practitioners in the country. The telehealth services provided by enterprises like JD Health are important supplements to the existing system. They are effective means to improve doctors’ working efficiency and enhance medical service quality for society.

 

(vivian.yang@jd.com)

Share: