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Data-Driven Healthy China Pathway: Evolution, Framework, and Global Implications of National Digital Health Strategic Planning.

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Title: Data-Driven Healthy China Pathway: Evolution, Framework, and Global Implications of National Digital Health Strategic Planning.
Authors: Liu J; Department of Medical Informatics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China., Liu S; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue Suite 1475, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States, 1 (615) 936-6867.
Source: Journal of medical Internet research [J Med Internet Res] 2026 Jul 20; Vol. 28, pp. e89099. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 20.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: JMIR Publications Country of Publication: Canada NLM ID: 100959882 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1438-8871 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14388871 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Med Internet Res Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: <2011- > : Toronto : JMIR Publications
Original Publication: [Pittsburgh, PA? : s.n., 1999-
MeSH Terms: Strategic Planning*, China ; Digital Health ; Humans
Abstract: Unlabelled: Amid accelerating digital health transformation, China has developed a centrally coordinated data-driven healthy China pathway. This viewpoint conceptualizes this pathway as a hybrid continuous planning framework (HCPF) that links long-term strategic direction with short-cycle tactical adaptation. China's strategy has progressed through 3 overlapping periods: infrastructure-oriented periodic planning (2015-2018), emergency-driven digital acceleration (2019-2021), and institutionalized continuous planning (2022-2025). The HCPF emerged from cumulative policy layering: Healthy China 2030 set long-range goals, 5-year plans translated these goals into programmatic priorities, annual adjustments enabled recalibration, and emergency response mechanisms and technical iterations supported adaptive implementation. Official reports indicate that China approved more than 2700 internet hospitals by 2024, and by December 2025, a total of 9073 secondary and tertiary public hospitals and 503,000 primary-level public hospitals and grassroots medical and health institutions were connected to regional platforms. The HCPF has supported large-scale data governance, interdepartmental coordination, pilot-based implementation, platform connectivity, and rapid pandemic response. However, it also raises risks related to data privacy, regional disparities, performative compliance, and the burden of agility on grassroots institutions. The transferable lesson is not direct replication of China's model but the design of temporally layered strategies that combine central coordination local adaptation, data-informed feedback; and safeguards for privacy, equity, and frontline capacity. Digital health incentives should prioritize meaningful clinical value and system connectivity rather than infrastructure adoption alone.
(© Jialin Liu, Siru Liu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org).)
References: Lancet. 2020 Jun 6;395(10239):1802-1812. (PMID: 32505251)
Telemed J E Health. 2023 Oct;29(10):1573-1584. (PMID: 36888545)
Health Care Sci. 2024 Oct 17;3(5):365-369. (PMID: 39479272)
JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024 May 24;10:e47154. (PMID: 38788212)
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2023 Nov 14;11:e48714. (PMID: 37990813)
J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jan 20;23(1):e21825. (PMID: 33417586)
Front Public Health. 2022 Oct 10;10:1009780. (PMID: 36299757)
Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2024 Jan 06;17:65-77. (PMID: 38204928)
NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Aug 2;8(1):496. (PMID: 40750663)
J Med Internet Res. 2025 Jan 15;27:e62645. (PMID: 39813666)
Stud Health Technol Inform. 2024 Jan 25;310:1556-1557. (PMID: 38269743)
Nat Med. 2025 Nov;31(11):3832-3844. (PMID: 40835970)
Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Aug 05;10(8):. (PMID: 36011136)
JMIR Med Inform. 2024 Jun 12;12:e54811. (PMID: 38865188)
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2015 Jan;22(1):43-50. (PMID: 25342177)
Digit Health. 2025 Jan 17;11:20552076251314102. (PMID: 39830144)
N Engl J Med. 2010 Aug 5;363(6):501-4. (PMID: 20647183)
J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jul 26;23(7):e23779. (PMID: 34309581)
JMIR Med Inform. 2020 Jun 8;8(6):e19515. (PMID: 32479411)
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: AI; Healthy China 2030; artificial intelligence; continuous planning; data governance; digital health; health information systems; health policy
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260720 Date Completed: 20260720 Latest Revision: 20260813
Update Code: 20260814
PubMed Central ID: PMC13384472
DOI: 10.2196/89099
PMID: 42476104
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Data-Driven Healthy China Pathway: Evolution, Framework, and Global Implications of National Digital Health Strategic Planning.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Liu+J%22&quot;&gt;Liu J&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Medical Informatics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Liu+S%22&quot;&gt;Liu S&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue Suite 1475, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States, 1 (615) 936-6867.
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  Data: Unlabelled: Amid accelerating digital health transformation, China has developed a centrally coordinated data-driven healthy China pathway. This viewpoint conceptualizes this pathway as a hybrid continuous planning framework (HCPF) that links long-term strategic direction with short-cycle tactical adaptation. China&#39;s strategy has progressed through 3 overlapping periods: infrastructure-oriented periodic planning (2015-2018), emergency-driven digital acceleration (2019-2021), and institutionalized continuous planning (2022-2025). The HCPF emerged from cumulative policy layering: Healthy China 2030 set long-range goals, 5-year plans translated these goals into programmatic priorities, annual adjustments enabled recalibration, and emergency response mechanisms and technical iterations supported adaptive implementation. Official reports indicate that China approved more than 2700 internet hospitals by 2024, and by December 2025, a total of 9073 secondary and tertiary public hospitals and 503,000 primary-level public hospitals and grassroots medical and health institutions were connected to regional platforms. The HCPF has supported large-scale data governance, interdepartmental coordination, pilot-based implementation, platform connectivity, and rapid pandemic response. However, it also raises risks related to data privacy, regional disparities, performative compliance, and the burden of agility on grassroots institutions. The transferable lesson is not direct replication of China&#39;s model but the design of temporally layered strategies that combine central coordination local adaptation, data-informed feedback; and safeguards for privacy, equity, and frontline capacity. Digital health incentives should prioritize meaningful clinical value and system connectivity rather than infrastructure adoption alone.&lt;br /&gt; (&#169; Jialin Liu, Siru Liu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org).)
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  Data: Lancet. 2020 Jun 6;395(10239):1802-1812. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2232505251%22&quot;&gt;32505251)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Telemed J E Health. 2023 Oct;29(10):1573-1584. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2236888545%22&quot;&gt;36888545)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Health Care Sci. 2024 Oct 17;3(5):365-369. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2239479272%22&quot;&gt;39479272)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024 May 24;10:e47154. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2238788212%22&quot;&gt;38788212)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2023 Nov 14;11:e48714. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2237990813%22&quot;&gt;37990813)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jan 20;23(1):e21825. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2233417586%22&quot;&gt;33417586)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Front Public Health. 2022 Oct 10;10:1009780. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2236299757%22&quot;&gt;36299757)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2024 Jan 06;17:65-77. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2238204928%22&quot;&gt;38204928)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Aug 2;8(1):496. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2240750663%22&quot;&gt;40750663)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Med Internet Res. 2025 Jan 15;27:e62645. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2239813666%22&quot;&gt;39813666)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Stud Health Technol Inform. 2024 Jan 25;310:1556-1557. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2238269743%22&quot;&gt;38269743)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nat Med. 2025 Nov;31(11):3832-3844. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2240835970%22&quot;&gt;40835970)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Aug 05;10(8):. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2236011136%22&quot;&gt;36011136)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;JMIR Med Inform. 2024 Jun 12;12:e54811. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2238865188%22&quot;&gt;38865188)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2015 Jan;22(1):43-50. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2225342177%22&quot;&gt;25342177)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Digit Health. 2025 Jan 17;11:20552076251314102. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2239830144%22&quot;&gt;39830144)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;N Engl J Med. 2010 Aug 5;363(6):501-4. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2220647183%22&quot;&gt;20647183)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jul 26;23(7):e23779. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2234309581%22&quot;&gt;34309581)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;JMIR Med Inform. 2020 Jun 8;8(6):e19515. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2232479411%22&quot;&gt;32479411)&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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