mobile + health = boosting China’s healthcare bandwidth

In Beijing, on November 17, 2015, the China Center for mHealth Innovation (CCmHI) released a landscaping report on mobile health (mHealth) in China as an early step in helping Chinese policy makers navigate the mHealth space.

The research team, together with 6 panelists from government, academia, industry, medical practitioners and media, as well as attendees from relevant fields, gathered at Peking University Health Science Center to discuss and exchange thoughts on the report and the future development of mHealth in China.

“The goal is to provide an overview of how mHealth is deployed and contributing to the Chinese health system, particularly from an academic point of view,” said Professor Anushka Patel, Chief Scientist of The George Institute for Global Health.

CCmHI, established at the end of 2014, is a joint collaboration between The George Institute for Global Health, a not-for-profit medical and healthcare research organization, and Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™. It was designed and created to support the development of community healthcare and contribute to mHealth innovation in China.

As the first study conducted by CCmHI, researchers examined and reviewed the scientific literature in China in relation to mHealth, as well as government and industry sector involvement, and the legal and regulatory framework.

“As mHealth technology evolves rapidly day after day, this broad overview is to be annually updated thus to subsequently provide a more in-depth understanding of both the promise and reality of the mHealth landscape in China,” said Professor Anushka Patel.

China has experienced 4 major rounds of health system reforms since the 1980s and achieved extraordinary results including improving average life expectancy from 68 years in 1990 to 75.2 in 2014. However, challenges from health equity and health system, as well as the ever-growing burden of chronic diseases, still remain.

“Challenges also bring opportunities, especially in an era when people are connected with each other via internet and mobile infrastructure and capabilities are expanding fast,” said Professor Zhi-Jie Zheng, Executive Director of The George Institute, China.

“The whole society welcome this new era, and people are expecting to enjoy the benefits brought by the innovative approaches like mHealth, especially those living in resource-limited areas. But if we want the full potential of mHealth to be achieved, the barriers and deficiencies of the current system need to be addressed first.”

“A strategic approach supported by scientific evidence is urgently needed to fulfil the role of mHealth in strengthening the healthcare system in China and bring real impact to people’s health.”

“We hope that the analyses and recommendations the report provided can help strengthen the formulation of policies and practices by Chinese governmental officials and bring about expanded use of mHealth strategies.”

Download the full version of the White Paper report.

Dr Sanne Peters from The George Institute UK has been invited to speak at a major global conference in November aimed at identifying and tackling sex and gender issues in science, research and innovation.

Gender Summit 7 Europe 2015 in Berlin, Germany will advance the understanding of when, how and why gender issues in research can produce different outcomes for women and men. It is part of a series of Gender Summits around the world with conferences also being held North America, Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Dr Peters is a Research Fellow in Epidemiology who will speak on her work in women’s health and sex-specific risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. 

“It is an honour to speak at this Summit, and to highlight the importance of a sex-specific approach to health research,” she said.

“Cardiovascular diseases are the biggest killers among women globally, yet are still largely seen as a 'man's problem'. Since women are often underrepresented in cardiovascular research, data on men are frequently used as the norm group for the entire population and clinical practices in women are frequently based on evidence obtained from male populations.

“With the wider availability of sex-disaggregated health research, we start to learn about important differences between men and women throughout the entire life course of cardiovascular diseases. Such information is relevant to the formulation of tailored strategies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in men and women.”

The George Institute is a strong supporter of sex-specific research and gender equality in science, recently committing to the UN Global Goals for sustainable future which advocated for equality in all fields, and joining the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative, an Australian adaptation of the UK’s successful Athena SWAN Charter program.

Principal Director of The George Institute Professor Robyn Norton said: “The George Institute has always had strong gender representation in our team and we are pleased to be leaders in this area.”

Find out more about the Gender Summit 7 Europe 2015.