China will build “digital Chinese medicine” in 3 to 5 years

China will use 3 to 5 years to promote the gradual integration of emerging digital technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence into all links of the whole chain of traditional Chinese medicine inheritance and innovation development, promote the sharing, circulation and reuse of traditional Chinese medicine data, initially realize the effective connection of data in the whole industry, the whole industry chain and the whole process of traditional Chinese medicine, and strive to create “digital Chinese medicine”.

Emerging digital technologies can provide strong support for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. In order to give full play to the multiplier effect of data elements and release the value of traditional Chinese medicine data, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Bureau of Statistics recently jointly issued the “Several Opinions on Promoting the Development of Digital Traditional Chinese Medicine”, proposing 20 specific measures.

In terms of digital assistance to improve the service capacity of traditional Chinese medicine, the document proposes that “traditional Chinese medicine medical institutions are encouraged to promote the digital transformation of business processes and create a digital traditional Chinese medicine service model that integrates prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and personal health management”, “encourage the development of intelligent electronic medical records, intelligent pre-diagnosis and follow-up systems with traditional Chinese medicine characteristics, and enhance the intelligent collection capacity of traditional Chinese medicine data”.

The application of digital technology also makes medical treatment more convenient. The document proposes measures such as “promoting the interconnection and interoperability of electronic medical record data in traditional Chinese medical institutions” and “promoting mutual recognition and sharing of inspection and test results”, and encourages the construction of exemplary intelligent Chinese medicine pharmacies and regional smart shared Chinese medicine pharmacies to provide cloud decoction services and provide convenient, fast and accurate Chinese medicine services to the public.

Acupuncture robots and “TCM CT” human digital portrait systems, digital technology has “begun to show its prowess” in the field of TCM health management. The document proposes to encourage the use of emerging digital technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to develop TCM health monitoring equipment and health management platforms for preventing diseases, and to integrate physical examination, disease control and other data through the collection and recording of TCM data such as TCM constitution, to carry out active health management, personal health portraits, artificial intelligence + medical and health applications, health protection for key groups, and health decision support system construction and data application demonstration research.

In addition, the document also makes arrangements for digital empowerment of TCM talent training, scientific and technological innovation, industrial development, and cultural communication. For example, it encourages TCM medical institutions to use digital technologies to build “digital inheritance studios” and “digital clinics”, strengthen the construction and promotion of TCM quality traceability system platforms, and support the establishment of TCM ancient books databases, TCM cultural relics databases, and TCM knowledge bases.