NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Liu Chunming almost died after a car crash in July in Taihe, a remote county in China’s southeast Jiangxi province, but survived serious abdominal injuries thanks to specialist doctors who led his treatment from 1,000 kms (621 miles) away.

From a central “operations room” in the eastern city of Hangzhou, doctors diagnosed and directed treatment for the 48-year-old using live video feeds and software that shares patient scans and files to aid consultation.

Liu’s case – one of a growing number of distance healthcare cases in China – reflects the rise in digital healthcare, or eHealth, to bridge the chasm between China’s developed health services in large cities and its grassroots rural care.

And that’s a multi-billion dollar opportunity for technology firms.