Online consultations for overseas patients a first

The Shanghai 9th People's Hospital has conducted the city's first online, long-distance multidisciplinary consultations for patients who are unable to return to China due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The four patients were all overseas students in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. One patient has just been diagnosed positive to coronavirus and is undergoing self-quarantine.

Thanks to the Internet project, the hospital is able to offer real-time consultation and timely analysis of all imaging data. The consultation is jointly held with the overseas students, their parents and medical experts.

The patient positive to coronavirus had received orthodontic treatment in the US, but wanted to consult with experts at the Shanghai 9th People's Hospital as he was not satisfied with the results.

The student was unable to visit the hospital for follow-up checks and treatment because of the pandemic and his infection.

To help the patient and have a timely update to his condition, doctors arranged the online consultation. The student's mother in China also participated in the whole process.

She said the online service not only offered professional guidance but helped relieve her son's anxiety.

Wang Xudong, the hospital's vice president, said the hospital started to carry out online multidisciplinary consultations in June last year.

The service can support the participation of one patient, four family members and nine medical experts at the same time. The service improves service to patients with complicated conditions and expands the application of the Internet service.

Ti Gong