Apr 1, 2021|

JD Health Opens Specialized Medical Center for Seniors

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by Ling Cao and Vivian Yang

JD Health announced the establishment of a specialized medical center for seniors on Mar. 26, aiming to create a full-process and closed-loop healthcare service for China’s growing population of elderly people.

The center will focus on integrating online and offline medical resources in the geriatric area, and building digitalized and intelligent health management services that start from health knowledge popularization, disease prevention, online medical consultation, treatment, rehabilitation and long-term health management.

The center was announced at a ceremony held at JD’s headquarters in Beijing, and is the result of cooperation between JD Health and Beijing Hospital, China’s top institution in senior care with over one hundred years of expertise in this area.

The center was announced at a ceremony held at JD’s headquarters in Beijing, and is the result of cooperation between JD Health and Beijing Hospital

From left to right: Yi Yuan, vice president of JD Health; Zhixiang Zhu, head of nutrition business unit of NUTRICIA ; Jianye Wang, director of the China Geriatric Medicine Center; Qingshen Zhu, former Vice Minister of Health; Huan Xi, Chairman of the Geriatrics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association; Haimei Qi, chief physician of the health medicine department of Beijing Hospital; Jianbo Xiao, general manager of JD Internet healthcare division, JD Health

Dr. Jianye Wang, director of the China Geriatric Medicine Center and Dr. Haimei Qi, chief physician of the health medicine department of Beijing Hospital, have been invited to serve as the center’s director and executive director, respectively. At the same time, nearly 60 geriatrics experts in the areas of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, orthopaedics, urinary diseases and other chronic diseases formed the core team of the specialized medical center for seniors.

“As of the end of 2020, China has over 260 million people aged above 60, and the imbalance between demand and supply of medical care for seniors is more prominent than ever, as both the total number and growth rate of the senior population are staggering,” Dr. Wang commented at the ceremony, applauding JD Health’s efforts on using internet technologies to explore more convenient and smart solutions to improve healthcare for elderly people.

Dr. Qi noted that the center will not only be the place to gather top resources to benefit more senior people with more personalized services that take care of their entire life cycle, but will also work towards the direction to develop standardized trainings for more medical specialists across the country via the platform.

“China is fast-forwarding into an aged society, and JD Health is paying close attention on the health management, care services and medical treatment of this growing population,” said Lijun Xin, CEO of JD Health. “We will leverage our strength in medical services and supply chain capacities to bring comprehensive, convenient and trustworthy healthcare services to senior people, letting them enjoy healthier and happier lives.”

According to Jianbo Xiao, general manager of the Internet Healthcare division of JD Health, the center will offer distinguished doctors, online consultations, drugs and devices purchase, as well as convenient omni-channel fulfillment services down to the last mile, aiming to provide one-stop healthcare services for seniors. Customers will be able to easily access the platform and have different kinds of health related queries be dealt with in one place. More importantly, the center will also regularly promote educational information to improve seniors’ healthcare knowledge.

Landing page of JD Health’s specialized medical center for seniors
Landing page of JD Health’s specialized medical center for seniors

As some seniors may face the “digital gap” when using online services, JD Health has been working together with partners to help them enjoy services more easily. For example, in Dec. 2020, JD and ZTE released a 5G smart phone tailored for seniors, equipped with services such as remote assistance, detailed instructions, fast medical consultancy access and more. Specifically, family members of seniors (such as their children) can download the app called “Family Time” developed by JD, and connect to their parents’ smart phones. Then they can remind their parents remotely to take medicine, share family photos with them and more. Parents can also easily make emergency calls and share their locations with their children. According to JD Health, access to the senior center’s services are expected to be included in such smart devices.

Additionally, by connecting JD’s IoT capabilities with specific Family Doctor services for seniors, customers can easily speak aloud to a JD Whale smart speaker, with requests such as “I need a video consultation.” The speaker will then help them connect with the right doctors, making it hassle-free for seniors to learn and use.

JD Health’s “Family Doctor” telemedicine service with AI speaker

JD Health’s “Family Doctor” telemedicine service with AI speaker

Xiao said, “The Internet can make healthcare services more accessible and inclusive for everyone, expanding doctor resources for those in need, no matter where they are based. Our senior care is comprehensive, as people may have multiple disease care requirements, such as chronic disease, heart disease and more. By opening the Senior Center, we hope to provide a closed-loop service covering alerts, consultation, monitoring and services, as well as providing tailored solutions for each individual.”

Since JD Health’s first specialized medical center for heart disease was launched in late 2019, the company has opened 18 specialized medical centers online, including a Respiratory Center, a Diabetes Center, a Hepatology Center, an Oral Care Center, a Spine Care Center, a Foot and Ankle Center, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Consultation Center and more. The newly opened Senior Center is an important component of how JD Health can make broader efforts and provide value for society as a whole.

(ling.cao@jd.com and vivian.yang@jd.com)

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