Hospitals need to boost scientific research, say experts

Local hospitals should be equipped with more professionals focusing on scientific research and leading hospitals in the city should have their own research platforms for each department, top health officials told a high-quality development forum for Fudan University's affiliated hospitals in Shanghai on Saturday.

The forum is one of the events to celebrate the 95th anniversary of Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University.

"The current research format in Shanghai hospitals are lagging behind some top hospitals in other provinces, let alone medical facilities in the West," said Gao Jiechun, director of Fudan University Hospital Management Research Institute.

"Shanghai's hospitals should get rid of traditional thoughts and introduce advanced theory, formats and management. Hospitals should have more professionals carrying out scientific research, instead of clinical doctors.

In addition, he suggested hospitals widely carry out investigator initiated trials, or IIT, to boost research and enhance innovation.

IIT's aim is to broaden and better current therapy. It is usually led by doctors, whose research is more in line with patients' demand such as comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different treatments and rare disease treatment. It is a popular research format in the international medical field.

Some 200 top health officials, hospital officials, researchers and medical experts participated in the forum, discussing how to boost public hospitals' development and build a world-leading medical school.