The Shanghai Health Promotion Committee Office and the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, in collaboration with the Shanghai Health Promotion Center and the School of Public Health at Fudan University, unveiled the “2023 Health Science Popularization Influence Rankings for Medical Institutions and Professionals” on November 15. This marks the second annual release of such rankings, following the inaugural edition in 2022.

Key Highlights of the 2023 Rankings:

1. Increased Participation: A total of 173 medical institutions, including 167 public hospitals and 6 private healthcare facilities, along with 248 community health centers, participated in the evaluation. This represents a 21.8% increase in participation compared to the previous year. Additionally, 472 healthcare professionals were recommended by various institutions for evaluation.

2. Expanded Reach: Medical institutions and community health centers reported a total of 2,400 new media accounts, a 60.9% increase from the previous year. This expansion underscores the growing role of digital platforms in health science communication.

3. Content Growth: In 2023, medical institutions and professionals published 115,903 health science articles on new media platforms, a 45.9% increase  from 2022. Furthermore, 5,507 articles were published in mainstream and  professional media, marking a 29.1% year-on-year growth.

4. Leadership      in Influence: The rankings highlighted the “head goose effect,” with 15 healthcare professionals boasting over one million followers on new      media platforms and 42 with more than 500,000 followers. Notable figures      include Dr. Zhang Wenhong from Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, with over 4.1 million followers on Weibo, and Dr. Zou Shien from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, with over 3.4 million      followers on Douyin.

Evaluation Framework Enhancements:

    The 2023 evaluation introduced several improvements, including a more comprehensive framework, clearer indicator definitions, streamlined data submission processes, and enhanced evaluation procedures. For the first time, the rankings also included sub-lists for district-level medical institutions and healthcare professionals across eight new media platforms.

Top Performers:

• Top 50 Medical Institutions: Fudan University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Huashan Hospital,      and Shanghai First People’s Hospital led the list.

• Top 50 Community Health Centers: Huangpu District Dapuqiao Community      Health Center, Fengxian District Haiwan Town Community Health Center, and      Songjiang District Sijing Town Community Health Center were among the top      performers.

• Top 100 Healthcare Professionals: Dr. Zou Shien from the Obstetrics and      Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Dr. Duan Tao from Shanghai First      Maternity and Infant Hospital, and Dr. Hu Yang from Shanghai Pulmonary      Hospital were recognized for their outstanding contributions.

Future Directions:

    Shanghai plans to further optimize the evaluation process by enhancing data collection efficiency, improving the city-level health science information platform, and innovating evaluation methods. Additionally, efforts will be made to support community health centers in leveraging new media for health education.

Conclusion:

    The 2023 Health Science Popularization Influence Rankings reflect Shanghai’s commitment to advancing public health education and empowering healthcare professionals to lead in health communication. By fostering a culture of science-based health education, Shanghai continues to set a benchmark for health promotion in China.