Medical group with innovative management established in Shanghai

A medical group consisting of hospitals offers medical and healthcare services with an innovative medical payment format was announced in Chongming District today.

Headed by Xinhua Hospital, the medical group covers all district-level hospitals and neighborhood health centers in Chongming.

Different from current medical groups which just allow patient transferring, doctor training and medical resource sharing, this new medical group is trying a new payment format. 

The city government gives the entire budget for all 700,000 residents in Chongming to the medical group, which can enjoy the leftover if medical costs are controlled by giving earlier intervention and better chronic disease management.

“If the bill surpasses the budget, the medical group should cover the extra cost by itself,” said vice mayor Weng Tiehui. 

To control medical costs, the best solution is to carry out a health management-centered service system instead of the current disease treatment system, officials said.

“We will do a study of the spectrum of diseases among local residents and work out a big database on chronic diseases to guide prevention and control,” said Sun Kun, president of Xinhua Hospital. “Neighborhood health centers will be responsible for health management and education of the public.”

An Internet-based data sharing network will also be set up to share patients’ disease and checkup information inside the medical group for quick patient transferring, at-risk patient identification and medical resource integration. 

Three diagnosis centers offering biological sample testing, imaging tests and electrocardiogram have commenced operation, as grassroots hospitals can send patients' data to Xinhua for diagnosis and give treatment under the guidance of senior specialists in a bid to improve medical capability while saving resources, officials said.