BEIJING -- Artificial intelligence is helping doctors read CT scans, train on virtual patients, and manage chronic diseases in community clinics. As China pushes to integrate smart technologies across its healthcare system, experts have called for broader AI integration in the sector.

The inaugural China Intelligent Medicine Conference, held on Saturday, brought together leading researchers and policymakers to discuss how technologies such as generative AI and brain-computer interfaces can reshape medical services.

"AI is reshaping medical understanding and practice," said Ji Xunming, president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, noting the shift from reactive treatment to proactive health management.

Data from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing showed that AI-assisted systems have improved the accuracy of medical record data to over 95 percent, while AI-driven surgical evaluation models now provide objective performance scores for surgeons.

In areas such as standardizing medical practices, optimizing patient experience, and enhancing disease prevention and treatment capabilities at the primary level, data-driven transformations are helping public hospitals achieve high-quality development, said Hu Shengshou, president of Fuwai Hospital.

Speakers emphasized the potential of smart technologies to strengthen primary-level care. In hypertension management pilots, AI support significantly improved treatment and control rates among primary-level doctors.

However, challenges remain. Wang Zhenchang, an academician at Beijing Friendship Hospital, noted that most current AI products focus on single diseases and do not fully meet complex clinical needs.

Wang called for more comprehensive imaging systems integrated into clinical workflows, along with faster regulatory pathways to keep pace with innovation.

A research report on AI in medical health released at the conference outlined bottlenecks in computing power, data, and ethics, and proposed a systematic approach centered on areas such as homegrown innovation and stronger oversight.

Progress is also underway in talent development, with the first national textbooks for intelligent medical engineering set to be published.

China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) calls for the orderly application of digital and intelligent technologies in areas such as assisted diagnosis, precision medicine, health management, medical insurance services, and elderly care.

Liu Dengfeng, a senior official of the National Health Commission, said at the conference that the NHC will accelerate the application of digital technologies in both major hospitals and grassroots facilities, and improve policies and regulations in areas such as ethics to create a favorable environment for intelligent medicine.