Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of preventable deaths among women, particularly in resource-limited rural areas. Researchers have now evaluated a digital “One-ID” platform developed by Tencent Inclusive Health Lab, which leverages optical character recognition (OCR) technology, to enhance population-based cervical cancer screening. The system streamlined patient identification, reduced repeated unnecessary testing, and enhanced follow-up and treatment adherence. Data from six rural counties showed significant improvements: over-screening fell by more than 98%, follow-up for abnormal results rose by 20 percentage points, and the detection of high-grade precancerous lesions nearly doubled. These findings highlight the promise of Tencent powered digital health tools in advancing equity, accuracy, and continuity of cancer prevention programs.
Cervical cancer is a major public health burden with more than 661,000 new cases and 348,000 deaths globally in 2022. The disease disproportionately affects women in low- and middle-income countries, where access to screening and follow-up care is limited. In China, screening coverage lags behind global targets, especially in rural settings where fragmented data systems and inadequate patient tracking hinder program effectiveness. Women often face repeated unnecessary testing while others fail to receive timely follow-up or treatment. Based on these challenges, there is an urgent need to develop scalable digital solutions that streamline screening workflows, ensure efficient follow-up, and ultimately strengthen cancer control efforts.
A research team from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, in partnership with Tencent Inclusive Health Lab and regional hospitals, published (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0419) a study in Cancer Biology & Medicine . The team evaluated an intelligent, optical character recognition (OCR) -enabled One-ID platform deployed across six rural counties in Shanxi, Yunnan, and Sichuan Provinces. By integrating identity recognition, appointment booking, and digital follow-up, the system dramatically reduced over-screening and strengthened the detection and management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) lesions.
The multi-county observational study analyzed 153,978 screening encounters from 2021 to 2024, comparing outcomes before and after the platform rollout. Prior to digitalization, over-screening—defined as screening too frequently against national guidelines—was common, reaching 12.64% in 2023. After full deployment in 2024, over-screening plummeted to just 0.17%, a relative reduction of nearly 99%. The proportion of women receiving their first screen within three years rose from 78.3% to 88.2%.
Follow-up also improved: completion of colposcopy after abnormal results increased from 64.1% to 84.9%, narrowing disparities across age groups. Most importantly, the detection rate of CIN2+ lesions nearly doubled, from 0.35% in the pre-digital phase to 0.67% in 2024. Case management completion for CIN2+ patients increased from 56.0% to 76.2%, ensuring that more women received appropriate treatment. These gains were consistent across all age groups and participating counties, regardless of the screening method adopted.
The One-ID system functioned through a web console and Tencent’s WeChat mini-program, integrating registration, specimen tracking, laboratory reporting, and treatment reminders. This closed-loop approach provided real-time surveillance and patient engagement, demonstrating that digital innovations can successfully reinforce rural cervical cancer programs.
“This study shows how digital technologies can transform population health management,” said Dr. Youlin Qiao, senior investigator of the study. “By eliminating duplicate screenings and strengthening follow-up, the Tencent digital platform not only saves resources but also improves health outcomes for women at risk of cervical cancer. These results provide compelling evidence that scalable digital health systems can help bridge rural–urban disparities in cancer prevention. Such approaches may be instrumental for countries striving to meet the World Health Organization’s 2030 elimination targets for cervical cancer.”
This OCR-enabled One-ID platform demonstrates a scalable model for strengthening cancer screening in low-resource settings. By ensuring accurate patient identification and reducing unnecessary procedures, it optimizes the use of limited healthcare resources. The improvements in lesion detection and management highlight its potential to save lives and prevent disease progression. Beyond cervical cancer, the system could be adapted for other population-based screening programs, such as breast or colorectal cancer. Its integration with widely accessible platforms like WeChat also suggests strong feasibility for nationwide implementation. This study underscores the transformative role of digital tools in advancing global health equity.
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References
DOI
10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0419
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0419
Funding Information
This work was supported by the Chongqing Tencent Sustainable Development Foundation through the project “Comprehensive Prevention and Control Demonstration Project for Eliminating Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer in Low Health Resource Areas of China” (Project No. SD20240904145730) and by the Tencent Sustainable Social Value (SSV) Inclusive Health Lab (Project No. SSVPJ202307060001).
About Cancer Biology & Medicine
Cancer Biology & Medicine ( CBM ) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal sponsored by China Anti-cancer Association (CACA) and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital. The journal monthly provides innovative and significant information on biological basis of cancer, cancer microenvironment, translational cancer research, and all aspects of clinical cancer research. The journal also publishes significant perspectives on indigenous cancer types in China. The journal is indexed in SCOPUS, MEDLINE and SCI (IF 8.4, 5-year IF 6.7), with all full texts freely visible to clinicians and researchers all over the world ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/2000/ ).
Cancer Biology & Medicine
Not applicable
Evaluation of an intelligent digital platform for population management in cervical cancer screening
29-Sep-2025
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.