How Telemedicine Integrated into China’s Anti-COVID-19 Strategies: Case from a National Referral Center

Introduction: We present the integration of telemedicine into the healthcare system of West China Hospital of Sichuan University (WCH), one of the largest hospitals in the world with 4,300 inpatient beds, as a means for maximizing the efficiency of health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Implemented on January 22, 2020, the telemedicine technology allowed WCH providers to conduct tele-consultations, tele-rounds, tele-radiology, and tele-ICU, which in culmination, provided screening, triage, and treatment for COVID-19 and other illnesses. To encourage its adoption, the government and the hospital publicized the platform on social media and waived fees. Discussion: From February 1 to April 1, 2020, 10,557 online COVID-19 consultations were conducted for 6,662 individuals; meanwhile, 32,676 non-COVID-patients completed virtual follow-ups. We discuss that high-quality, secure, affordable, and user-friendly telemedical platforms should be integrated into global healthcare systems to help decrease the transmission of the virus and protect healthcare providers from infection.