On October 19, during the third Shaolin Forum on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Culture held in Zhengzhou, Henan, representatives from various TCM hospitals and enterprises shared their experiences and practices in the realm of digital TCM. Highlights included AI-assisted clinical diagnosis, the creation of shareable electronic medical records for TCM, and a remarkable single-day sale of over 12 million servings of Wu Mei Tang on an internet healthcare platform.
TCM culture, regarded as a treasure of Chinese civilization, has made outstanding contributions to global health. As the world progresses, data is increasingly empowering various industries, and TCM—combining both cultural and scientific attributes—stands to benefit significantly from this data-driven evolution. The goal is to leverage data effectively to promote the high-quality development of TCM, a focus recognized by various levels of government.
In July, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in conjunction with the National Data Bureau, issued a document outlining their objectives for advancing digital TCM over the next three to five years. This initiative aims to gradually integrate big data and artificial intelligence into every aspect of TCM’s traditional and innovative development, facilitating data sharing, circulation, and reuse across the entire industry.
At the forum, Ma Jianzhong, president of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, sent a congratulatory message emphasizing the importance of TCM as a monumental creation of the Chinese nation. He stated that it is the shared responsibility of TCM practitioners to promote both the inheritance and innovative advancement of TCM for the benefit of people worldwide.
Gao Xiangfu, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, highlighted the impact of releasing the value of TCM data. He noted that the hospital’s TCM outpatient cases are documented in standardized formats, allowing all patients to potentially contribute to clinical research. Furthermore, they have implemented coding for traditional Chinese medicine pieces and in-hospital preparations, laying the groundwork for future data mining.
Regarding the surge in TCM’s popularity among younger audiences on social media platforms, Gao believes that the internet plays a crucial role in promoting and disseminating TCM culture. He cited examples like Zhejiang Province’s Wu Mei Tang and the mooncakes from Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital as internet sensations and urged TCM hospitals at all levels to embrace internet healthcare to make TCM accessible to more people.
Ke Chunxiao, deputy general manager of China Knowledge Network, mentioned that AI-assisted clinical diagnosis for TCM can now recommend relevant TCM diseases based on traditional diagnostic methods, patient complaints, medical history, physical examinations, and lab results.
Expressing optimism for the future of digital TCM, Tong Xuanfu, a researcher in Natural Medicine at Showa University in Japan, asserted that clinical efficacy, research data, and academic papers can validate TCM’s scientific basis. He emphasized that digitizing this information will make it easier for people overseas to understand TCM culture.
The forum, co-hosted by Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Henan International Cultural Exchange Center, featured numerous TCM experts sharing insights under the theme of “Inheriting TCM Culture and Promoting High-Quality Development of TCM.”