Online doctors hope to ease strain on patients, hospitals

The pharmacy model promoted by MinuteClinic in the United States has been brought to Northwest China by the local health authority and AliHealth as part of healthcare reform to improve patient access to care.

The initiative in Jinchang, Gansu province, with a population of more than 400,000, uses telemedicine platforms from AliHealth, a subsidiary of Alibaba.

About 100 physicians, under the public-private partnership led by the local health administration, will see patients via the telemedicine platform installed at about 20 drugstores, according to Li Yutang, director of the healthcare reform office of Jinchang.