China launches new rules as number of internet hospitals surge

This move mainly aims to govern collaborations with third parties.

China's National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine have jointly unveiled new policies to govern internet-based medical services.

Internet hospitals are gathering traction in the country, with tech startups vying for patients and medical partnerships.

The new rules cover areas such as e-diagnosis, internet-based hospitals, and telemedicine services.

Under the new regulations, commercial companies may collaborate with hospitals and clinics to provide online health services.

It also provides a framework to allow medical institutions to become accredited e-hospitals. Hospitals and clinics which seek to establish online hospitals must satisfy hardware and software requirements, such as having two sets of servers, uninterruptible power supply, and a high-speed internet connection.

Meanwhile, the Telemedicine Service Standard requires collaboration between hospitals and service providers.

The collaboration agreement must be reviewed by the local healthcare regulator and must address data privacy issues.