Role of the Internet in patient education and counseling: a framework for health-care provider in developing China

Intelligent medication manager: developing and implementing a mobile application based on WeChat

Background: Time and space constraints have often hindered the provision of optimal pharmaceutical care, limiting medication therapy management. Social media tools have gained significant popularity in the field of pharmaceutical care. This study aimed to develop a WeChat-based intelligent medication manager platform that facilitates online pharmaceutical care and encourages self-management. Methods: We developed a WeChat-based Internet pharmacy service platform called Xiang Medicine Guidance (XMG). Through the analysis of surveys and user access data, we evaluated the demand and utilization of the XMG platform and assessed patients' satisfaction with its services. Patients' adherence before and after the XMG platform intervention was also investigated. Results: The XMG platform was launched in November 2022, offering medication guidance, reminders, and consultation services through the WeChat mini-program. By the end of April 2023, the platform had attracted 141.2 thousand users, accumulating 571.0 thousand visits. Moreover, 1,183 clients sought online medication consultations during this period. Six months after the launch of XMG, an impressive 91.02% of users expressed their satisfaction with the platform. The medication reminders and consultations provided by XMG significantly contributed to medication adherence, with 56.02% of users categorized as having good adherence, better than the previous 47.26%. Conclusion: Through its services and features, XMG empowers patients to better manage their medications, seek professional advice, and adhere to their prescribed treatment plans. XMG has the potential to positively impact public health on a broader scale.

Outpatient communication patterns in a cancer hospital in China: A qualitative study of doctor-patient encounters

OBJECTIVE

The paper characterizes outpatient communication in a major cancer hospital in southern China with regard to the structure, style and focus of doctor-patient communication.

METHOD

Fifty-one encounters between doctors and patients were recorded in the outpatient department of the cancer hospital and analysed inductively to identify patterns of doctor-patient outpatient communication.

RESULTS

Outpatient communication in the cancer hospital is characterized by structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during communication. These characteristics suggest an extreme inequality of power between Chinese doctors and patients at the individual level. They are also shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals.

DISCUSSION

Measures should be taken at both the interpersonal and institutional level to improve doctor-patient communication. At the micro-interpersonal level, public education and professional skills training are needed to improve communication and promote mutual understanding between patients and doctors. At the macro-institutional level, changes are needed in terms of transforming the structural factors that shape doctor-patient communication.

CONCLUSIONS

Structuralized conversation, doctor domination of the conversation and a focus on technology during outpatient encounters present challenges to effective doctor-patient communication. These patterns are shaped by the institutional environment of Chinese hospitals and suggest the extreme power imbalance between Chinese doctors and patients.

Patient education - A route to improved patient experience in Chinese hospitals?

Poor patient experience may trigger serious doctor-patient conflicts in China. Health system challenges related to access and financing may cause frustration in patients, but inadequate health literacy is an additional factor. This letter argues from two aspects that patient education is an effective and feasible pathway to improve patient experience, but its effects are influenced by underlying systemic problems and contextual factors in China.