China aims to anchor its leadership in healthcare innovation by integrating artificial intelligence for enhanced diagnosis and treatment strategies by the year 2030, ultimately aiming to improve patient care across its extensive healthcare system.

As the nation with the world's largest healthcare service infrastructure, China is already pioneering advancements in artificial intelligence research, especially within medical applications and patient services.

In a significant move, China's National Health Commission, alongside four other regulatory bodies, released a document on Tuesday that calls for the promotion and regulation of artificial intelligence within the country's health sector over the ensuing years.

The document lays out a roadmap to develop high-quality datasets and establish a reliable data infrastructure for the health industry by 2027. It also emphasizes the creation of specialized large AI models tailored to address specific diseases and medical fields.

By 2030, the plan is for intelligent diagnostic and treatment assistance to be universally implemented across primary-level medical institutions, which include community health centers and village clinics. At hospitals classified as secondary and above in China's three-tier system, AI technologies will be extensively employed, particularly in advanced medical imaging and clinical decision support systems.

Additionally, the initiative outlines the establishment of leading scientific innovation and talent training centers that will be crucial in fostering skilled professionals.

To further leverage AI in patient services, hospitals will be empowered to offer comprehensive intelligent services throughout the treatment continuum, which encompasses precise appointment scheduling, triage, preliminary diagnosis, and follow-up care.

The proposal also includes the establishment of several national AI pilot bases in the healthcare sector, which will foster high-value application scenarios to stimulate the industry's development and ensure high quality.

Moreover, China is set to enhance its intelligent epidemiological investigation systems so they can provide timely and accurate decision-support for the prevention and control of infectious diseases, as outlined in the released document.

(With input from Xinhua)