Chinese patients to have access to top US medical expertise online

Chinese patients suffering from serious diseases are to have easier access to quality medical services provided online by some of the United States's top hospitals.

WorldCare International, a leading second medical opinion service in the US, will provide its services to Chinese clients via a network that includes Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Duke Hospital and Mayo Clinic, Hassan Sharif, chief medical officer of WorldCare, said during the 6th US-China Health Summit that concluded in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Sunday.

"We will introduce the US's top medical expertise to China, and help Chinese hospitals with their management," Steven Wu, a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief medical officer of WorldCare China, said after an agreement was made between the company and China's Sunshine Insurance Group.

"Patients will be able to receive expertise from physicians from some of the best hospitals in the US via the internet, instead of having to go to the US," Wu said. "However, we can also arrange for them to come to the US for surgery, if necessary."

Major clients of WorldCare China's second medical opinion services will be those with serious or critical diseases, such as cancer, Sharif said.

Internet-based medical care services have developed rapidly in China in recent years, using various platforms that link doctors and patients via the internet. These companies usually only offer simple medical services, such as helping patients to register at hospitals or providing medical advice to patients with minor or chronic diseases.