Jiang Lixin (center), vice-president of Fuwai Hospital, interacts with reporters at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo by ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY] A senior medical scientist called on Wednesday for improved integration of big data technology with the medical care sector in China to improve healthcare services at the grassroots level. My biggest dream is to see advanced technologies that China excels in, such as big data, internet and artificial intelligence technologies, being widely used in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, said Jiang Lixin, vice-president of Fuwai Hospital, at a news conference on China's scientific achievements held by the State Council Information Office. Tools developed with such technologies that aid diagnostic and treatment decision-making can quickly help improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment at the grassroots level, so patients in remote mountainous areas can enjoy the same medical services as those in places such as Beijing. Jiang said she has visited many clinics in rural areas, and finds gaps in education and skills there compared with doctors in big hospitals. The tools can help guide and improve their work, even if they have no idea of the exact reason, she said. This will help them greatly improve their diagnostic ability and treatment of diseases. A major task of the ongoing healthcare reform in China is to promote a more balanced distribution of medical resources between different regions and different types of medical institutions, with health authorities releasing more measures in recent years to encourage the development of community hospitals and clinics. China will promote the application of AI technology in the healthcare sector to improve services for patients, especially at the grassroots level, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said. In China, AI technology is being used in a number of areas, including remote care services, assisting diagnosis and treatment, and improving health management through wearable devices, according to the commission. An example is Watson for Oncology, developed by US company IBM, which has been used in dozens of hospitals in China since it was introduced to the Chinese mainland in March. The platform is designed to assist clinicians in developing treatment plans for breast, lung, colorectal, cervical, ovarian, gastric and prostate cancers, according to IBM. Treatment options for lung cancer patients recommended by the platform are more than 96 percent consistent with those offered by experts at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in Shandong province, said Zhang Xiaochun, an oncologist at the hospital. Jiang, from Fuwai Hospital, said China's experiences in integrating big data technology with medical care may be extended to some other countries to help them improve medical care services. silicone braceletsevent wristbandsfuck cancer bracelet
Most commonly used cancer drugs have been included in China's basic medical insurance program, and the government is continuing negotiations on the price of expensive drugs with the aim of including them, the country's top medical security authority said.China has included 34 drugs that treat major cancers, such as lung, breast, stomach and rectal cancer, in the national basic medical insurance program after successful price negotiations with pharmaceutical companies in the past three years, the National Healthcare Security Administration said recently."All the drugs are clinically proven to be effective, and are in high demand by patients," it said.The prices of most of the drugs have been cut by more than half, and patients will spend even less after reimbursement from the medical insurance fund, the administration said.The pace of progress has been accelerating. Two cancer drugs were approved for inclusion in the medical insurance program after their prices were cut by more than 50 percent in 2016, while 15 were approved in 2017 and 17 were included in October.The administration also has recognized significant demand from patients with other serious diseases. It is considering engaging in price negotiations on drugs used to treat those patients this year, the administration said."The number of patients with some other serious diseases such as heart disease and hepatitis B is also high, and they've also appealed for more affordable drugs," it said.The administration said it will continue to try to include new cancer drugs in the program after they are proven effective.China launched pilot negotiations with pharmaceutical companies on reducing the prices of cancer drugs and drugs that treat serious diseases in 2015. In return for cutting prices, the companies would see their sales boosted by inclusion in the national insurance program.Many cancer drugs, most of which are imported, were more expensive in China than in other countries, for reasons such as higher tariffs and high distribution costs. That placed great financial burdens on cancer patients. Some were forced to buy cheaper generic drugs from India through the internet, which could be risky, officials from the National Health Commission said.In July, Dying to Survive, a film based on real events, sparked heated debate over the dilemma faced by many cancer patients. It tells the story of Lu Yong, a wealthy businessman in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, who got leukemia in 2002 and initially bought Gleevec, a patented drug developed by Swiss company Novartis, for his treatment.But a month's treatment with the drug cost about 24,000 yuan ($3,535) in China, so he turned to a much cheaper generic version produced in India. He also bought the generic drug for many other leukemia patients he knew after they asked him to do so, even though he faced great legal risks because the generic drug is not approved for sale in China. He was arrested, but he was not prosecuted after an outcry from patients.Many experts said the case highlighted the need to reduce cancer drug prices and include them in the medical insurance program so cancer patients can afford them. The prices of the 17 drugs included in October fell by about 57 percent on average, the administration said.The price of Erbitux, a drug produced by German pharmaceutical company Merck to treat rectal cancer, was reduced by 69 percent, from around 4,200 yuan a bottle to 1,295 yuan.In May, the authorities lifted import tariffs on 103 anti-neoplastic drugs, which target tumors, and significantly reduced the value-added tax levied on them.There are an estimated 3.8 million new cancer cases in China every year, with cancer becoming a leading cause of death, with the incidence of some cancers, such as lung and breast cancer, rising rapidly, the Cancer Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences said in a report last year.The National Medical Products Administration, China's top drug regulator, said in January that it has accelerated inspection and approval procedures for new drugs developed overseas that are urgently needed by Chinese patients. A number of them, including cancer drugs, will be available on the domestic market this year.Shi Lichen, founder of Beijing Dingchen Consultancy, a medical consulting company in Beijing, said cancer drugs have been the priority in price negotiations over the past few years due to the increasing number of cancer patients and the higher prices of such drugs."Following studies over the past few years, the authorities may expand price negotiations to drugs treating other serious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases," he said. "Such negotiations will become a regular practice by the administration."In many European countries and the United States, price negotiations are routine between commercial insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. But in China, such negotiations have been held between the government and pharmaceutical companies only in the past few years, Shi said. "Lowering prices of costly drugs can also help check rapid increases in costs by the medical insurance fund in China," he said.By buying drugs in bulk from around the world, the authorities will stimulate more domestic producers to improve drug research and development, Shi said.
