Short article describing the potential for mobile health applications (mHealth) in China.

1. IMS Observer - Issue 9
IMS HEALTH ASIA PTE LTD 8 Cross Street #21- 048424 Singapore • E-mail: APACSocialMedia@imshealth.com • Website: www.imshealth.com
○C 2015 IMS Health Incorporated and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Trademarks are registered in the United States and in various other countries
How to Compete and Win in China’s
Mobile Health Market
The introduction of smart phones to China has propelled its healthcare industry into uncharted
territories. As the fastest growing market for mobile medical applications, China has the
potential of revitalizing its healthcare system by providing patients with access to valuable
information and resources at their finger tips. However, with various problems plaguing this
industry, mHealth developers will have to find ways to be trusted by medical professionals.
Why hasn’t mHealth Dominated the Industry yet?
As mHealth begins to gain momentum, experts have started to evaluate whether the long-
lasting issues plaguing the healthcare industry can be resolved. Examples of such issues are
unmet doctors’ needs, insufficient resource allocation, poor medical coverage and management.
To be a suitable substitute for consultations and prescriptions that take place in traditional
hospital settings, mHealth applications will need to be both reliable and target-specific. Acquiring
relevant data from viable sources is the key to gaining trust from industry professionals. This
task is further complicated by the lack of universal communication platform and a scattered
population with different developmental levels. Without credible evidence of its reliability and
effectiveness, patients are doubtful of mHealth’s utility.
*mHealth aims to resolve the interrelated issues in the Chinese healthcare industry with the aids of sprawling mobile
phone technology.
Hospitals:
Rapid expansion,
exceeding patient loads,
low efficiency,
overcrowded
enviornment
Doctors:
unstable doctor-
patient relationships,
overworked,
underpaid, risky
working
enviornment
Patients:
overwhelmed by
expensive bills, lack
of treatment follow-
up services, lack of
education
*

2. IMS Observer - Issue 9
IMS HEALTH ASIA PTE LTD 8 Cross Street #21- 048424 Singapore • E-mail: APACSocialMedia@imshealth.com • Website: www.imshealth.com
○C 2015 IMS Health Incorporated and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Trademarks are registered in the United States and in various other countries
The Blueprint for mHealth Applications
Given the numerous problems within the pharmaceutical industry in China, penetrating the
market requires a balanced flow of information to doctors and patients. A prime example of how
this is done well is Sanofi’s diabetes mHealth program. The program has reached residents in
rural areas, enabling over-the-net prevention and treatment consulting services from medical
experts. The pilot launch for the program is the first step towards building a bridge between
pharmaceutical companies, doctors and patients. Pharmaceutical companies may also gain
a deeper understanding of patients’ needs and concerns in the market.
Tailoring Services around Needs — a Possible Solution
for mHealth Progression
Customizing and Personalizing Doctors’ Information
The pilot program for mHealth was launched by “丁香园” (Ding Xiang Yuan) and “春雨医生”
(Chunyu Yisheng). Apart from face-to-face meetings between companies, doctors, and patients,
the online platform differentiates itself; through the ability for end-users to filter unnecessary
information. By customizing and personalizing doctors’ information, pharmaceutical companies
can deliver individualized options to mobile customers, in order to gain a clear picture of what is
needed by doctors in the medical market.
These two information service companies have paved the path for online medical consultations
with a large number of available doctors as expert resources. Their successes have led medical
consulting experts to believe that the more doctors a medical institution has, the more effective
it will become. When this statement reached the market, it immediately sparked a debate. From
the doctors’ perspectives, the clashing needs of various departments and the present hierarchy
made it hard for mHealth to be viewed as an attractive program. Perhaps what is more
important for mHealth is to figure out the highly individualized needs for doctors and to
establish a clear business model to operate from.
To properly leverage mHealth as a resource in China, doctors must be willing to work with third-
parties; such as pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and/or application developers.
A transparent communication process between medical service providers and patients must
also be established in order to keep doctors interested in mHealth. In China’s case, the future of
mHealth relies heavily upon the ability to solve this conundrum.