07-Oct-14 Online health is shaping up to be a hot new industry in China, as an increasing number of hospitals begin providing cyber services. According to Alibaba, 15 hospitals across China have joined the "Future Hospital" scheme initiated by its online payment platform Alipay. However it does not (yet) link up with China’s health insurance system. (Image: Alipay)

06-Oct-14 The CEOs of China’s iCareNewLife and Innospring have expressed optimism about smart health monitoring devices, especially in the maternal market, because Chinese parents arewilling to spend on their children's future, starting as early as pregnancy. The key is interaction between patients and machines, for example sharing babies' heartbeats on social media. (Image: Mobisante)

02-Oct-14 China's ageing population, the age profile of rural-to-urban migrants and increasing affluence all mean that urban 40-64 year-olds earning over USD20k are the fastest growing population segment. There are currently 98 million and this will more than double to 236 million by 2024, implying a big rise in demand for healthcare and wellness. [image: Global Demographics]

02-Oct-14 Korean medical appliance manufacturers could be sandwiched between global leaders and their Japanese and Chinese counterparts. GE, Philips, and Siemens are expanding their business by aggressive investment and Japanese companies' technological strength is likely to be redoubled with assistance from the Japanese government. All this has created an entry barrier for Korean companies. [image: University of Bristol]

03-Sep-14 Hot on the tail of Alibaba's Taobao being accepted for payment in some hospitals in China, Tencent has addressed a major barrier to adoption by allowing patients to pay for hospital services in Guangdong with its WeChat system, and crucially, integrating with the government health insurance system which automatically picks up the eligible portion of the bill. [image: SCMP]