ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is helping doctors read CT scans, train on virtual patients, and manage chronic diseases in community clinics. As China pushes to integrate smart technologies across its healthcare system, experts have called for broader AI integration in the sector.

“AI is reshaping medical understanding and practice,” said Ji Xunming, president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, at the recent China Intelligent Medicine Conference.

Data from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing showed that AI-assisted systems have improved the accuracy of medical record data to over 95%, while AI-driven surgical evaluation models now provide objective performance scores for surgeons. In areas such as standardizing medical practices, optimizing patient experience, and enhancing disease prevention and treatment capabilities at the primary level, data-driven transformations are helping public hospitals achieve high-quality development.

Experts emphasized the potential of smart technologies to strengthen primary-level care. In hypertension management pilots, AI support significantly improved treatment and control rates among primary-level doctors.

However, challenges remain. Wang Zhenchang, an academician at Beijing Friendship Hospital, noted that most current AI products focus on single diseases and do not fully meet complex clinical needs.

Wang called for more comprehensive imaging systems integrated into clinical workflows, along with faster regulatory pathways to keep pace with innovation.

A research report on AI in medical health released at the conference outlined bottlenecks in computing power, data, and ethics, and proposed a systematic approach centered on areas such as homegrown innovation and stronger oversight.

Progress is also underway in talent development, with the first national textbooks for intelligent medical engineering set to be published.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) calls for the orderly application of digital and intelligent technologies in areas such as assisted diagnosis, precision medicine, health management, medical insurance services, and elderly care.(Xinhua)