Qualcomm Inc. is working with China high-tech enterprise and application developer Xi'an Kingtone Information Technology Co. Ltd and the charitable China Children and Teenagers' Foundation for the delivery of health services in Hebei Province. The three organizations are joining forces to set up a rural healthcare delivery system in select clinics using
3G handsets and PCs. Health care
software and
network services will give doctors in 21 clinics in Xian County access to medical information, thus enabling them to treat patients more effectively.
As part of Qualcomm's global Wireless Reach initiative, this project will enhance China's rural health care system and bridge critical gaps in access to medical information through the use of advanced 3G technologies and applications. The project is supported by the China Rural Doctors Training Center, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health and is the only national-level training organization targeting rural doctors and the Hebei Province Women's Federation.
The system employs China Telecom's EV-DO network and uses a mobile device to access real-time medical treatment and regulation information, communicate with other physicians for remote medical consultation and manage patient profiles and records any time, from any location. Educational health care content designed to address the specific needs of rural doctors also will be developed through the project. The system will give rural physicians the tools they need to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and provide timely treatment in rural areas thus improving the overall level of health and medical services available to the local population. This is particularly beneficial for groups at higher medical risk such as women and children.
As part of the project, Qualcomm also will work with other contributors to provide training sessions for the rural doctors in Xian County. These training sessions will help doctors effectively use wireless devices to access information and training sessions conducted by other professional physicians.
"Qualcomm enthusiastically supports the Chinese government's commitment to rural informatization, improved medical services and the development of enhanced rural health care systems," said Jing Wang, executive VP of Qualcomm Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. "We are pleased to be working with an innovator like Xi'an Kingtone to help China's rural doctors gain better access to medical information and services. Providing adequate health care services to widespread rural populations is a challenge in many countries. 3G wireless technology has proven to be effective in overcoming many of these challenges and we continue our commitment to using wireless technology to help improve economic conditions and enhance quality of life in local communities across China."
"It has been a great honor for Xi'an Kingtone to cooperate with Qualcomm to help advance medical services in rural China through the integration of both companies' technologies," said Li Tao, chairman of Xi'an Kingtone. "The combination of a health care application specifically designed for rural doctors and high-speed wireless connectivity will help doctors in underdeveloped areas to benefit from access to the latest medical information and real-time connections with specialists in leading hospitals across China. We will continue to focus on the research and development of wireless information technology to enable compelling 3G applications that benefit people all across the country."
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