On December 16th, Baidu and West China Hospital of Sichuan University officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two sides will jointly build a real-world research technology laboratory (hereinafter referred to as the "laboratory"), relying on the academic research, scheme design and execution capabilities of West China Hospital, integrating Baidu's AI technology capabilities and ecological resource advantages, ultimately improving the efficiency of real-world research, shortening project cycles, and achieving a win-win situation for pharmaceutical enterprises and patients.
The "laboratory" aims to integrate AI, big data and other technologies to develop new theories, methods, and technologies in the field of real-world data research, and cultivate versatile talents; Establish a real-world database of specialized diseases using algorithms and medical data governance and analysis capabilities; Develop innovative applications, research tools, and products based on real-world data using AI algorithms and information technology; Support the construction of the Sichuan Province Real World Data Technology Innovation Center.
It is understood that as early as 2014, West China Hospital, under the leadership of Sun Xin's team, created and developed a new discipline of real-world data research, and accumulated rich achievements through cooperation with various departments of drug supervision. In the future, with the help of Baidu's technological strength and the scientific research strength of West China Hospital, the "laboratory" will further accelerate the "flowering and fruiting" of real-world research.
What is real world research? The National Center for Drug Evaluation defines it as: collecting data related to patients in a real-world environment, analyzing clinical evidence of the value of medical products and potential benefits or risks, which can be used to support the development of new drugs or add new indications.
In recent years, real-world research has become a focus of exploration for pharmaceutical regulatory agencies in China and even globally, with a rapid increase in related demand. Real world research often requires the collection of complex and massive data sources, including medical records, visit information, follow-up records, electronic health cards, and even medical insurance databases. Currently, this type of data lacks a sharing mechanism and suffers from severe information silos, greatly reducing the accessibility of real-world data.
As an AI technology company with a strong internet foundation, Baidu can provide a complete set of technical tools: firstly, based on a large number of authoritative medical expert resources, patient searches, and online consultation information on the platform, achieve accurate screening and matching of doctors and patients, and find the most suitable doctors and patients; Secondly, it can accumulate a large amount of patient information, including full chain information such as consultations, medical records, and follow-up, to ensure data quality; Finally, powerful AI technology fully empowers important processes such as data extraction, data integration, and data analysis.
He Mingke, Senior Vice President of Baidu Group and President of the Big Health Business Group, introduced that West China Hospital is one of the most renowned representative hospitals in China. Baidu is very fortunate to cooperate with it, and these abilities will help Baidu to play its strengths and contribute to the field of data dependent research in the real world. (Li Yan)