Beijing Hospital, Alibaba Team Up for AI Disease Screening

Beijing United Family Hospital and Alibaba DAMO Academy Launch AI Screening Initiative

Beijing, August 4, 2025 - In a significant advancement for preventive healthcare, Beijing United Family Hospital has entered a strategic partnership with Alibaba's research arm DAMO Academy to implement AI-driven multi-disease screening technologies. The collaboration aims to make advanced medical diagnostics more accessible through innovative artificial intelligence applications.

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Technology Meets Clinical Expertise

The partnership combines DAMO Academy's "Scan and Detect Multiple Conditions" AI platform with Beijing United Family Hospital's international-standard medical services. This technology can identify multiple conditions from a single plain CT scan, including hard-to-detect cancers and chronic diseases that traditionally require specialized imaging.

Dr. Pan Zhongying, President of Beijing United Family Hospital, emphasized: "This integration of AI with clinical care represents a paradigm shift in how we approach disease prevention. Our goal is to deliver more efficient, reliable diagnostics while maintaining our patient-centered care philosophy."

Focus Areas: Cancer and Chronic Disease Detection

Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening

  • The hospital's newly established Gastrointestinal Cancer Center will serve as a testing ground for the AI technology
  • DAMO's system has shown particular effectiveness in detecting pancreatic and gastric cancers
  • Technology has earned FDA "Breakthrough Device" designation and been featured in Nature Medicine

Chronic Disease Monitoring

  • System addresses China's aging population challenges through:
    • Osteoporosis risk assessment beyond postmenopausal women
    • Severe fatty liver detection
    • Cardiovascular disease risk factor analysis
  • Enables personalized, lifelong health management plans

Broader Implications for Healthcare

The collaboration explores AI applications across the entire medical service chain, potentially revolutionizing:

  • Early disease detection protocols
  • Population health management strategies
  • Healthcare resource allocation

The plain CT-based approach could significantly reduce diagnostic costs while improving detection rates for conditions that often go undiagnosed until advanced stages.

Key Points:

  • Strategic partnership combines clinical expertise with cutting-edge AI technology
  • Focus on gastrointestinal cancers and chronic diseases affecting aging populations
  • Technology can detect multiple conditions from a single plain CT scan, reducing costs and improving accessibility
  • Has received FDA recognition and been published in leading medical journals

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