Online medical service offers remote help for patients

The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University in Xiamen, Fujian province, started July 6 using an entire link of online activities, including an outpatient service, electronic medicine prescription and distribution, in its aim to operate as an internet hospital.

Jiang Jie, the hospital director, conducted an online follow-up consultation for a patient who suffered from a cough after having lung surgery. Jiang put the recipe into the computer, clicked the confirm button and the first electronic recipe was on the screen.

According to local media, the hospital, the pioneer of internet hospital operations in Fujian province, has been carrying out innovation in Internet Plus medicine since April 2016.

A total of 558 doctors from the departments of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and dermatology at the internet hospital have been offering online medical services during trials. Over 400,000 patients have obtained free online health consultations.

The internet hospital mainly serves the follow-up needs of patients with common and chronic diseases.

Patients can access the online service through the hospital's WeChat account.