FlyTitle: Telemedicine in China
The covid-19 epidemic has brought millions of new patients online. They are likely to stay there新冠疫情促使成百上千萬病人上網求診，這可能成為常態
WHEN SARS, a coronavirus, hit China in 2003 citizens hunkered down at home. This proved a blessing for some businesses. Chinese social media took off. So did e-commerce. Richard Liu, who ran a chain of consumer-electronics shops, shut all his brick-and-mortar stores and set up JD.com. The firm is now valued at $64bn.
當2003年由一種冠狀病毒引發的非典疫情席卷中國時，人們宅在家中閉門不出。這對一些企業來說反倒是個福音。中國社交媒體乘勢起飛。電子商務也大舉興起。當時經營數碼產品連鎖店的劉強東關掉了所有實體店鋪，創辦了京東。如今，該公司的市值已達640億美元。
A novel coronavirus that has brought China to a halt this year is boosting another fledgling industry: telemedicine. As hospitals turn away patients with other ailments and many Chinese are confined to their homes or steer clear of clinics for fear of infection, millions are seeking treatment and advice on the internet. The government is egging them on.
今年一種新型冠狀病毒讓中國陷入停頓，這又在推動另一個正在起步的產業：遠程醫療。隨著醫院停止接收其他疾病的患者，以及許多中國人在家自我隔離或擔心去醫院會感染病毒，成百上千萬的人正在互聯網上尋求治療和建議。而政府也在鼓勵這種做法。
Xin Lijun, boss of JD Health, says that his platform’s monthly consultations have grown tenfold since the outbreak, to 2m. Some 1.6m tuned in to a talk by a top cardiologist that the JD.com subsidiary live-streamed. Without the outbreak, the shift in consumer behaviour would have taken perhaps five years, reckons Mr Xin. Chen Qiaoshan of Analysys, a consultancy in Beijing, thinks that China’s online health-care market may near 200bn yuan ($29bn) this year, up from her pre-outbreak estimate of 158bn yuan.
京東健康的CEO辛利軍表示，自疫情爆發以來，其平臺的月問診量已經增長了10倍，達到200萬人次。這家京東子公司邀請一位頂尖心臟病專家做了一場網絡直播講座，吸引了約160萬人收看。辛利軍估計，若不是此次疫情爆發，這樣的消費者行為轉變可能還需要五年。北京咨詢公司易觀的陳喬山認為，今年中國線上醫療的市場規模可能接近2000億元，疫情爆發前她的預測是1580億元。
China’s telemedicine market—including consultations and drug sales—had been predicted to grow vigorously even before the latest epidemic. Ping An Good Doctor, a medical-services app run by a big insurer, claimed in September that over 300m had registered on it, equivalent to one in three internet users in China. Tianyancha, a data firm, counts over 1,000 home-grown telemedicine companies.
在這輪疫情爆發之前就已有預測認為中國的遠程醫療市場（包括線上問診和藥品銷售）將迎來強勁增長。大型保險公司平安運營的醫療服務應用“平安好醫生”去年9月宣稱注冊用戶已超三億人，相當于中國網民總數的三分之一。根據數據公司天眼查的統計，中國本土遠程醫療公司已超過1000家。
Until now, however, most of these firms have stuck to delivering drugs or, in Ping An’s case, booking appointments with specialists, whom Chinese patients favour over general practitioners, even if it means queuing for hours at a hospital. Prestigious “AAA” hospitals account for one in ten public institutions but receive half of all outpatients. And the many Chinese who believe in traditional medicine, with its injunction that a reliable diagnosis cannot be made without feeling the pulse, would not dream of accepting health advice by video link.
然而到目前為止，多數遠程醫療公司的業務還僅限于送藥上門，或者像平安好醫生那樣提供專科醫生掛號。比起全科醫生，中國的患者更偏愛專科醫生，哪怕要在醫院排上幾個小時的隊。聲名顯赫的三甲醫院數量只占公立醫療機構的十分之一，卻接診了一半門診病人。而對于很多相信中醫的中國人來說，既然中醫講究靠把脈做出可靠診斷，他們不會想要通過視頻來問診。
Authorities, too, have been cautious. In many countries, including America, the world’s biggest telemedicine market, most insurers do not reimburse patients’ online expenses. Nor, in all but a few regions, does China’s national health-insurance scheme. Most Chinese online doctors are permitted only to handle repeat prescriptions and follow-up consultations, not make an initial diagnosis. A draft government policy from 2017 took “a negative tone” on internet hospitals and recommended they be shut down, recalls Li Tiantian, founder of Dingxiang Doctor, which runs a medical myth-busting-and-advice forum.
政府也態度謹慎。在許多國家，包括擁有世界最大遠程醫療市場的美國，大部分保險公司都不會賠付患者的線上醫療費用。除了少數幾個地區外，中國的社保也不報銷網上看病的費用。中國大多數線上醫生只被允許處理復診續方，不得做初診診斷。丁香醫生（運營著一個辟謠和科普醫學論壇）的創始人李天天回憶，2017年一份政府政策草案對互聯網醫院持“負面態度”，并建議關停這些醫院。
Last year the government began to lift some restrictions, such as a ban on the sale of prescription drugs. But covid-19, as the new disease is known, has accelerated the shift. At the peak of the epidemic in early February a health-ministry directive mandated that internet-based medical services be given “full play” to diagnose and treat patients. Another encouraged hospitals to give online consultations. Jiangsu province, China’s industrial powerhouse, authorised reimbursements for online medical care. So have cities including Shanghai and Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, where covid-19 first emerged.
從去年開始，政府陸續取消了一些限制，例如允許在網上銷售處方藥。但這一次的新冠疫情加速了這種轉變。在2月初疫情最嚴重的時候，國家衛健委出臺政策，要求“充分發揮”互聯網醫療的作用，為患者提供診斷和治療服務。另一項政策鼓勵醫院開展線上問診服務。工業強省江蘇已經批準了線上醫療的醫保報銷。其他城市也先后將線上醫療納入醫保，包括上海和首先爆發疫情的湖北省會武漢。
Telemedicine firms are trying to win over the government and consumers by behaving like good corporate citizens. Many, including JD Health, are offering patients consultations free of charge while the epidemic lasts. Ali Health, an arm of Alibaba, China’s e-commerce titan, launched a free “online clinic” for residents of Hubei, which has been under lockdown; in five days 100,000 patients got a remote consultation. WeDoctor, an app backed by Tencent, a tech giant, mobilised 20,000 physicians to work online for no pay. Ping An set up an “antivirus command centre” to dispatch free face masks around the country. Dingxiang Doctor got epilepsy medication to 300 children in Hubei amid an acute shortage of suppliers and delivery firms. Its real-time heat map tracking covid-19 infections has been viewed 2.5bn times.
遠程醫療公司正努力扮演良好企業公民的角色，以贏得政府和消費者的信任。包括京東健康在內的許多公司均在疫情期間為患者提供免費問診服務。中國電商龍頭阿里巴巴旗下的阿里健康為封城中的湖北居民提供“線上義診”，五天內有十萬名患者接受了遠程問診。科技巨頭騰訊投資的微醫動員了兩萬名醫生在線上無償工作。平安成立了“抗擊病毒指揮中心”，在全國免費發放口罩。丁香醫生在供應和配送公司嚴重緊缺的情況下，為湖北300名兒童送去了癲癇藥物。該網站實時跟蹤疫情的熱力圖已被瀏覽了25億次。
All this is costing the companies money. But, says Mr Xin of JD Health, it makes “little sense” to focus on profit at the moment. What matters, he adds, is how covid-19 has made people think twice about rushing to hospital and helped foster trust in general practitioners, who provide the bulk of online advice. It has also broadened the appeal of firms like his, beyond middle-aged patients with chronic conditions to web-savvy youngsters seeking advice for parents and grandparents and healthy types simply seeking reassurance. Of the 10m people who have turned to the internet for health services in the past month, perhaps half were first-time online patients, says Ms Chen. At least a third are likely to keep using such apps, she estimates.
這些公司為此大把花錢。但京東健康的辛利軍表示，這個時候考慮盈利“毫無意義”。他說，真正重要的是新冠病毒使得人們不再動輒跑去醫院，而有助于培養人們對全科醫生的信任，這些醫生提供了絕大部分的線上問診。疫情也讓他們這類公司吸引到了更多用戶，不再只是中年慢性病患者，還有精通網絡、為父母和祖父母尋求建議的年輕人，此外還有僅僅是為消除疑慮的健康人群。陳喬山說，過去一個月里有一千萬人通過互聯網尋求醫療服務，其中可能有一半是初次上網求醫。她估計，至少有三分之一的人可能會繼續使用此類應用。
Remote possibilities
遠程的潛力
It is not just patients and politicians who are embracing telemedicine. JD Health has lured more pharmacies to its platform (in part by waiving the fee it earns on drug orders in Hubei). China’s underpaid, overworked doctors are also keen. Xiao Xingxing left a AAA hospital in Beijing to consult full-time for JD Health; many old colleagues and classmates are doing the same, she reports. And against the backdrop of a global, virus-induced stockmarket rout, Chinese online health firms offer a tonic to ailing investors. This year the share prices in Ping An Healthcare and Ali Health are up by 33% and 74%, respectively. ■
積極擁抱遠程醫療的不止病患和政客。京東健康還吸引了更多藥店進駐其平臺（部分原因是它免收湖北地區藥物訂單的平臺費用）。工資收入低、工作強度大的中國醫生對此也充滿了熱情和期待。肖幸幸（音譯）從北京一家三甲醫院辭職后，加入了京東健康擔任全職醫生。她說自己的許多老同事和同學也做出了同樣的選擇。在疫情引發全球股市暴跌的背景下，中國的互聯網醫療公司為困頓的投資者注入了一針強心劑。今年以來，平安健康醫療科技和阿里健康的股價已經分別上漲了33%和74%。
詞匯講解
1? hunker
英 [?h??k?(r)]? 美 [?h??k?]
Their strategy for the moment is to hunker down and let the fuss die down.
他們目前的策略是保持低調，讓事態慢慢平息。
2.
I have to hunker down to finish my algebra this evening.
我今晚要專專心心地把代數作業做完.
3.
They are not allowed to hunker down to rest after running 5,000 meters.
他們跑完5000米后不準蹲下休息.
2? brick-and-mortar
英 [b'r?k'?ndm'?:t?r]? 美 [b'r?k'?ndm'?t?r]
實體的，具體的；
1.
Now the company is moving further into the brick - and - mortar world.
現在,它正朝著現實世界中的銷售網絡進軍.
2.
Brick - and - mortar companies are working hard to create similarly rich date sources.
實體公司努力收集相同的數據資源.
3 halt /h??lt/? CET4 TEM4
When a person or a vehicle halts or when something haltsthem, they stop moving in the direction they were going and stand still. 使停住; 停住
They halted at a short distance from the house.
他們停在離房子不遠處。
=lame 跛的; 瘸的
If something such as growth, development, or activity comes or grinds to a halt or is brought to a halt, it stops completely. 完全停止
Her political career came to a halt in December 1988.
她的政治生涯于1988年12月徹底結束了。
4 ailment /?e?lm?nt/? CET6+ TEM8
N-COUNT An ailment is an illness, especially one that is not very serious. 小病
The pharmacist can assist you with the treatment of common ailments.
藥劑師能幫助你治療平常小病。
5 steer clear of
Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought. 避開消極的想法吧，如果消極的思想在蠕動——那么用積極的思考取而代之吧。
6 egg on
If you egg a person on, you encourage them to do something, especially something dangerous or foolish. 慫恿
He was lifting up handfuls of leaves and throwing them at her. She was laughing and egging him on.
他正抓起把把樹葉朝她扔去。她笑著，慫恿他繼續扔。
7 tenfold /?t?n?f??ld/
equal to or having 10 times as many or as much 十倍的
a tenfold increase in population
8 tune in
If you tune in to a particular television or radio station or programme, you watch or listen to it. 收看; 收聽
All over the country, youngsters tune in to Sesame Street every day.
全國各地的兒童每天都收看“芝麻街”。
If you tune in to something such as your own or other people's feelings, you become aware of them. 了解 (感情等)
You can start now to tune in to your own physical, social and spiritual needs.
你可以現在開始了解你自己身體、社交和精神方面的需要了。
9 practitioner /pr?k?t???n?/? CET6+ TEM4
N-COUNT Doctors are sometimes referred to as practitioners or medical practitioners. 行醫者
10 prestigious /pr??st?d??s/? TEM4
A prestigious institution, job, or activity is respected and admired by people. 有聲望的
It's one of the best equipped and most prestigious schools in the country.
它是該國設備最好、最有聲望的學校之一。
11 injunct /?n?d???kt/
V to issue a legal injunction against (a person) 給(某人)下制止令
12 outpatient /?a?t?pe???nt/
An outpatient is someone who receives treatment at a hospital but does not spend the night there. 門診病人
...the outpatient clinic.
…診所。
13 injunction /?n?d???k??n/? TEM8
An injunction is a court order, usually one telling someone not to do something. (法院的) 禁令; 強制令
He took out a court injunction against the newspaper demanding the return of the document.
他拿出法院強制令，要求這家報紙歸還該文件。
An injunction to do something is an order or strong request to do it. 指令
We hear endless injunctions to managers to build commitment and a sense of community among their staff.
我們聽到對經理們無休無止的訓示，要他們在其員工中培養奉獻精神和團隊意識。
14 prescription /pr??skr?p??n/? CET6 TEM4
A prescription is the piece of paper on which your doctor writes an order for medicine and which you give to a pharmacist to get the medicine. 處方
The new drug will not require a physician's prescription.
這種新藥不需要醫生的處方。
A prescription is a proposal or a plan that gives ideas about how to solve a problem or improve a situation. 方案
There's not much difference in the economic prescriptions of Ireland's two main political parties.
愛爾蘭兩大政黨的經濟方案沒有多大差異。
15 mandate /?m?nde?t/? CET6+ TEM8
If a government or other elected body has a mandate to carry out a particular policy or task, they have the authority to carry it out as a result of winning an election or vote. (政府或機構經選舉而獲得的) 授權
The president and his supporters are almost certain to read this vote as a mandate for continued economic reform.
總統和他的支持者們幾乎肯定地認為這次投票是對繼續進行經濟改革的授權。
When someone is mandated to carry out a particular policy or task, they are given the official authority to do it. 授權
He'd been mandated by the West African Economic Community to go in and to enforce a ceasefire.
他受西非經濟共同體授權去介入并執行停火協定。
16 dispatch /d??sp?t?/? CET6 TEM4
If you dispatch someone to a place, you send them there for a particular reason. 派遣
He had been continually dispatching scouts ahead.
他一直不斷地派遣偵察員到前面去。
If you dispatch a message, letter, or parcel, you send it to a particular person or destination. 發送
The victory inspired him to dispatch a gleeful telegram to Roosevelt.
勝利鼓舞了他發喜電給羅斯福。
17 epilepsy /??p??l?ps?/
N-UNCOUNT Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes a person to suddenly lose consciousness and sometimes to have seizures. 癲癇
Shawna suffers from epilepsy.
肖娜患有癲癇。
18 acute /??kju?t/? CET4 TEM4
You can use acute to indicate that an undesirable situation or feeling is very severe or intense. 嚴峻的
The war has aggravated an acute economic crisis.
這場戰爭加劇了一場嚴峻的經濟危機。
The report has caused acute embarrassment to the government.
這份報告使政府極其尷尬。
ADJ An acute illness is one that becomes severe very quickly but does not last very long. Compare . 急性的
...a patient with acute rheumatoid arthritis.
…一位患急性風濕性關節炎的病人。
If a person's or animal's sight, hearing, or sense of smell is acute, it is sensitive and powerful. 敏銳的
When she lost her sight, her other senses grew more acute.
失明以后，她的其他感官變得更加敏銳了。
19 bulk /b?lk/? CET4 TEM8
N-SING You can refer to something's bulk when you want to emphasize that it is very large. 大塊
The truck pulled out of the lot, its bulk unnerving against the dawn.
拂曉時分，卡車駛出了停車場，龐大的車身看起來有點兒可怕。
You can refer to a large person's body or to their weight or size as their bulk. 龐大肥碩的身軀
Bannol lowered his bulk carefully into the chair.
班諾爾那肥碩的身軀小心地坐落到了椅子上。
The bulk of something is most of it. 大部分
The bulk of the text is essentially a review of these original documents.
正文的大部分基本上是對這些原始文獻的回顧。
If you buy or sell something in bulk, you buy or sell it in large quantities. 大批地 (買賣)
Buying in bulk is more economical than shopping for small quantities.
大批采購比少量購買更經濟實惠。
20 lure /l??/? CET6 TEM8
To lure someone means to trick them into a particular place or to trick them into doing something that they should not do. 引誘
He lured her to his home and shot her with his father's gun.
他把她誘騙到家里，然后用父親的槍把她打死。
They did not realize that they were being lured into a trap.
他們沒有意識到正被人騙入圈套。
21 pharmacy /?fɑ?m?s?/? CET6+ TEM4
A pharmacy is a shop or a department in a shop where medicines are sold or given out. 藥店; 藥房
Pick up the medicine from the pharmacy.
從藥房取藥。
2
22 waive /we?v/? TEM8
If you waive your right to something, such as legal representation, you choose not to have it or do it. 放棄 (權利)
He pleaded guilty to the murders of three boys and waived his right to appeal.
他對殺害了3個男孩的罪行表示認罪伏法，并放棄上訴的權利。
If someone waives a rule, they say that people do not have to obey it in a particular situation. 放棄 (規則)
The art gallery waives admission charges on Sundays.
美術館星期天免費開放。
23 backdrop /?b?k?dr?p/? TEM8
A backdrop is a large piece of cloth, often with scenery painted on it, that is hung at the back of a stage while a play is being performed. 舞臺背景
The backdrop to an object or a scene is what you see behind it. 背景
...the rugged cliffs that formed a backdrop to the village.
...構成村莊天然屏障的崎嶇峭壁。
The backdrop to an event is the general situation in which it happens. 事件的背景
The election will take place against a backdrop of increasing instability.
選舉的背景是逐漸不穩的局勢。
24 tonic /?t?n?k/? TEM8
A tonic is a medicine that makes you feel stronger, healthier, and less tired. 補藥
People are spending twice as much on health tonics as they were five years ago.
人們花在保健補藥上的錢是5年前的兩倍。
respectively /r??sp?kt?vl?/? CET4
Respectively means in the same order as the items that you have just mentioned. 分別地
Their sons were three and six respectively.
他們的兒子們分別是3歲和6歲。
