For a long time in Hong Kong, Chinese medicine and Western medicine seem to be two parallel lines, without disturbing each other and developing separately. Lui Aiping, Vice President (Research and Development) and Chair Professor of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University, said in a recent interview with Ta Kung Pao that Hong Kong, as an international metropolis where East meets West, should be better equipped to build a healthcare system that integrates Chinese and Western medicine.
"If we can strengthen the communication, cooperation and integration of Chinese and Western medicine, we can play the effect of one plus one greater than two." Lu Aiping believes that this new Hong Kong model of medical system may be the future of the world model of medical system.
Lu Aiping, who grew up in Jiangxi Province, has been practicing Chinese medicine for 40 years, during which time she studied in the United States, and has a deep understanding of the development of Chinese medicine at home and abroad. While studying Western medicine courses in the United States, he met many Chinese students like him, some of whom stayed in China after graduation to obtain licenses for Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and used the knowledge of Chinese medicine and Western medicine to provide patients with integrated diagnosis and treatment plans.
"Chinese medicine and Western medicine really have different effects on patients, and the different effects should be judged by doctors." 'American officials are open to this,' Mr. Lu said. "I don't think it's entirely right, to say the least, to let patients make their own choices. Patients don't know very specialized medical knowledge, so why should patients decide for themselves which doctor to see?"
"We all say that we need to develop traditional Chinese medicine, and the development of traditional Chinese medicine must be to better serve patients and maximize the benefits of patients; The combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine can complement each other and improve the diagnosis and treatment plan."
Lu Aiping said that the development of traditional Chinese medicine is not only about how to get better in the industry. In some cases, he points out, Chinese and Western medicine complement each other; However, in the treatment of some diseases, the treatment ideas of Chinese and western medicine can even be completely opposite, but which is better is difficult to answer, because the respective development leads to the data is not mutual, difficult to compare; Coupled with the lack of communication and cooperation between the two sides, there is no opportunity to develop strengths and avoid weaknesses and create better solutions.
"Hong Kong has world-class Western medicine and Chinese medicine. If we can strengthen exchanges, collaboration and integration between the two sides, one plus one will be more effective than two."
Lui Aiping suggested that Hong Kong should form a strategic plan, and Chinese medicine should also be integrated into the health care system in the future for the government to coordinate and distribute in a unified manner to support patients.
"This new Hong Kong model of healthcare system may be a world model of healthcare system in the future." In other words, the framework of the future medical system in the world is likely to be created in Hong Kong."
Lu Aiping believes that the future development direction of the Chinese medicine industry, on the one hand, we should continue to improve the development of the Chinese medicine industry itself, on the other hand, we should strengthen the integration of Chinese and Western medicine. Specifically, it is necessary to consider the maturity of the industry's products, the uniqueness of the technology, and the platform suitable for development. Of course, the cultivation of talents can not be ignored.
Maturity is the degree of effectiveness, Lu Aiping explained that the benefit to consumers and patients is the embodiment of maturity, and this is to have real evidence to prove. The more evidence there is, the greater the acceptance of maturity.
For example, the meaning of developing a new drug is really a new formula or new technology, rather than just adding a new variety to the market. "If an industry can make its technology, products become more mature, more unique, the industry can develop." Lu Aiping believes that what university researchers need to do is to come up with enough scientific evidence in terms of product maturity to allow Chinese and Western medicine to exchange, so as to improve the maturity of the product and ensure the quality.
