Times create heroes! The “digital healthcare” wave—driven by the surge in digital medical devices—is now sweeping forward.

It is often said that “times create heroes.” The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rapid development of internet-based healthcare at an unprecedented pace, enabling it to make a significant contribution to the fight against the epidemic. As a result, “digital healthcare” has surged into the spotlight, with data emerging as a critical asset—often referred to as the “oil” of the digital age. Digital transformation is continuously disrupting traditional healthcare systems, and medical device companies must keep pace with these changes if they are to gain a competitive edge in an evolving market environment.

What is the concept of digital healthcare? According to Baidu, digital healthcare is a new, modern approach that applies cutting-edge computer and information technologies throughout the entire medical process, representing the future direction of public healthcare and its management objectives. The advent of digital medical devices has dramatically expanded the scope and volume of medical information. This evolution spans from the visualization of one-dimensional data—such as critical electrophysiological signals like electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG)—to two-dimensional imaging modalities—including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), color Doppler ultrasound, and digital radiography (DR)—and further to three-dimensional visualization, with the potential to even capture four-dimensional data, such as real-time dynamic 3D cardiac imaging. Such advancements have profoundly enriched physicians’ diagnostic capabilities, ushering medicine into a brand-new era of visualized, data-driven healthcare.

Ministry of Science and Technology: Establishes a Pilot Special Project on “R&D of Digital Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment”

Since 2015, the Ministry of Science and Technology has launched and successfully completed the pilot program for “R&D of Digital Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment,” thereby designating this key special project as one of the first six pilot initiatives to be launched and officially entering the implementation phase. These pilot projects are primarily oriented toward early diagnosis, precise diagnosis, minimally invasive treatment, and precision medicine, with a focus on ten major strategic products, including multimodal molecular imaging systems and large-scale radiotherapy equipment. They aim to systematically strengthen research and development of core components and critical technologies, accelerate the integration of China’s innovation and industrial chains in the medical device sector, and promote the overall advancement of China’s digital diagnostic and therapeutic equipment into the international forefront.

The “R&D of Digital Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment” special project has established four key tasks—cutting-edge and common-technology innovation, R&D of major equipment, research on application solutions, and application demonstration and evaluation studies—and further delineated 20 priority areas. Seven leading medical-device companies and 20 key products are expected to be among the first to benefit from so-called digital diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, which includes high-end, high-value devices such as CT scanners, MRI systems, color Doppler ultrasound machines, and digital radiography (DR) systems—equipment that delivers medical imaging information to clinicians.

We know that the medical-device industry is heavily influenced by policy. Following the recent successful applications, seven major medical-device companies—Yuwell Medical, Hejia Shares, Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, Neusoft Group, China Resources WanDong, Diri Medical, and Dongfulong—have been among the first to benefit, thanks to their strong R&D and innovation capabilities, diversified M&A strategies, and global marketing channels. In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released the “Technology Roadmap for Key Areas under ‘Made in China 2025’ (2015 Edition)” (also known as the “Green Book” due to its green cover), which identifies ten key areas—including high-performance medical devices—and outlines 23 priority development directions; digital medical devices are classified as high-performance medical devices. Based on this framework, we have selected the following 20 priority products:

Currently, many leading domestic and international companies that have pioneered the adoption of digital technologies have recognized that only by transforming existing workflows—by introducing more convenient access points and implementing visual, transparent operations—can they deliver higher-quality services to patients, physicians, and payers. Collaboration and acquisitions have become the two dominant trends in how organizations deploy digital health or technology solutions.

Collaboration Cases

Leverage online oncology treatment and workflow management tools to enhance patient management and physician communication.

To optimize workflow, Roche Diagnostics and GE Healthcare have jointly launched the innovative NAVIFY Tumor Board multidisciplinary tumor board platform—a cloud-based solution that advances personalized cancer care. By integrating medical imaging, patient data, and clinical decision-support applications, the platform enables multidisciplinary teams to gain a more comprehensive understanding of each patient, facilitate efficient, evidence-driven decision-making, and deliver superior treatment options for cancer patients.

As the industry’s first shared, integrated diagnostic platform, this collaboration has established an ecosystem that encompasses application and workflow management solutions. Both participating companies are committed to seamless integration and to analyzing comprehensive data from laboratory and medical imaging services, patient records, best clinical practices, real-world real-time monitoring, and the latest research findings. The platform was designed to bolster clinicians’ confidence, enabling them to make the optimal treatment decisions for every patient. It has already been launched in multiple countries across Asia, with its Singapore debut in April 2019. This platform serves as a prime example of how medical device companies can leverage digital tools to streamline hospital workflows and improve patient outcomes.

Acquisition Cases

Establish an integrated digital surgical platform that covers the entire treatment cycle.

Smith & Nephew has acquired Brainlab’s digital surgical technologies for orthopedic joint reconstruction. Following the acquisition, Smith & Nephew will gain access to a suite of Brainlab’s cutting-edge technologies, including cloud computing, digital tracking, augmented reality, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, image fusion, and anatomical segmentation. The integration of these technologies will create a robust digital ecosystem that fosters the development of groundbreaking clinical solutions, further strengthening Smith & Nephew’s position in robotic-assisted surgery.

Real-World Applications of Digital Healthcare

As a physician, Fan Lihong, Party Secretary of the Tenth People’s Hospital of Shanghai, stated that AI technology now enables him to readily inform patients about the distribution, size, and other characteristics of pulmonary nodules, thereby enhancing diagnostic and treatment protocols while also helping patients gain a clearer understanding of their condition. He further noted that, in the face of the digital transformation wave, public general hospitals are actively embracing change and striving to “tear down the walls” that have historically limited access to healthcare services by leveraging digital medical technologies.

In Fan Lihong’s view, in the future patients may be able to access self-service healthcare through digital means, scheduling relevant diagnostic tests as needed. In his vision for the future of digital healthcare, intelligent medical devices and telehealth technologies will further dismantle the “barriers” of time, distance, and environment that have traditionally constrained healthcare delivery, thereby supporting the realization of the Healthy China initiative.

Dr. Hu Jialu from the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, serves as the director of the hospital’s Internet-based online cardiovascular care service, known as the “e-Cardiology Outpatient Clinic.” According to Dr. Hu, by establishing an “Internet Plus Cardiovascular Disease” healthcare service platform, the e-Cardiology Outpatient Clinic has helped thousands of hypertensive patients create comprehensive online health records and, in collaboration with multiple departments, provides full-cycle patient management. Moreover, the specialized cardiac disease follow-up system developed under the e-Cardiology Outpatient Clinic has greatly enhanced patient convenience and has been widely embraced.

In the first quarter of 2021, digital health spearheaded cutting-edge advances at the intersection of biomedicine and interdisciplinary fields, with venture capital and private equity investments totaling US$15.3 billion—more than half of last year’s full-year funding. As an emerging area of cross-disciplinary innovation, digital health was scarcely understood or formally defined just five years ago. Today, however, it is widely researched and rapidly translated into practical applications. Without the catalytic impact of the pandemic, the development of digital health and digital medicine would likely have taken at least another decade; instead, it has erupted like a volcanic surge, unstoppable and transformative.