ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. General Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Care
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1562127
The practice of internet hospital for pediatric patients: A real-world study
Provisionally accepted
- Nanjing Children's Hospital, Nanjing, China
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Objective: The study analyzes real-world operational data of our pediatric internet hospital to improve operational efficiency, enhance user experience, and provide a reference for other hospitals launching similar platforms. Methods: We analyzed the operational data of our pediatric internet hospital from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2025, examining patient demographics, service utilization, diagnoses, and satisfaction metrics. We also assessed the platform's key modules-medical assistant services, online treatment, and chronic disease management. Results: Over five years, the internet hospital registered 2,096,293 new users. A total of 259,034 patients used online follow-up services, with 175,654 prescriptions issued, while 266,321 patients utilized online consultation services. The majority (76.27%) of follow-up patients were under six years old, and services expanded to 31 provinces by 2025. Patient satisfaction was high, with an average score exceeding 9 out of 10. However, limitations in online physical examinations and diagnostic accuracy, along with policy-related restrictions, pose challenges to further expansion. Conclusions: Internet hospitals offer a valuable supplement to offline care, enhancing 删除了: s accessibility, particularly for children in remote areas. Despite certain operational limitations, internet hospitals have the potential to transform healthcare delivery in China. Further efforts should focus on expanding specialty services and addressing policy barriers to maximize their impact.
Keywords: Internet hospital, pediatric patients, Online follow-up services, Online consultation services, Pediatric chronic disease management
Received: 22 Mar 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yin, Li, Gao, Xu, Wang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Qian Wang, wangqian@163.com
Zhuo Li, lizhuo2004@126.com
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