On May 9–10, 2026, the 2026 Annual Academic Conference of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Professional Committee of the China Association of Private Medical Institutions was held at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). The conference was hosted by the China Association of Private Medical Institutions and co-organized by the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Professional Committee of the China Association of Private Medical Institutions (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”) and Shenzhen Baoxing Hospital. Concurrently, the Committee convened its second plenary session of the first term and its second executive committee meeting, along with a national-level continuing medical education–approved training course on scale-based assessment of consciousness disorders following brain injury [Project No.: 2026-16-01-403 (National)].

This conference, themed “Cross‑Boundary Collaboration, Integration, Innovation, and Development: Building a New Ecosystem for AI‑Driven Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy,” brought together leading experts and scholars from the fields of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, rehabilitation, critical care, nephrology, and neuromodulation. Featuring one main venue, three parallel sessions, and a knowledge‑based competition, the event comprehensively showcased the latest advances in hyperbaric oxygen medicine—spanning AI‑enabled applications, multidisciplinary integration, critical‑care management, and the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning—thereby significantly advancing the systematic enhancement of hyperbaric oxygen therapy capabilities in non‑public medical institutions.

Academic Annual Conference

At the opening ceremony of the Specialized Committee’s 2026 Academic Annual Conference, Qian Yangming, Secretary of the Association’s Party Branch and President; Li Jian’an, Honorary Chairperson of the Association’s Rehabilitation Medicine Professional Committee; Li Jinsheng, Chairperson of the Association’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Specialized Committee; and Wen Weina, Chairperson of Shenzhen Baoxing Hospital, each delivered opening remarks. Drawing on the broader context of industry development, the leaders and guests underscored the importance of forging industry-wide consensus, pooling collective efforts for progress, upholding professional standards, and strengthening accountability. They emphasized leveraging standardization to drive industry advancement and relying on talent to ensure long-term growth, thereby helping the hyperbaric oxygen therapy sector enhance quality and efficiency while achieving steady, sustainable development.

Speech by Qian Yangming, Secretary of the Association’s Party Branch

Rehabilitation Medicine Professional Committee of the Association

Speech by Honorary Chairperson Li Jian’an

Li Jinsheng, Chairman of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Committee of the Association, delivered a speech.

Speech by Wen Weina, Chairperson of Shenzhen Baoxing Hospital

Main Venue of the Academic Annual Conference: Exploring the Frontiers of Science and the Future of AI

The academic presentation session at the main venue was chaired by Li Jinsheng, Chair of the Specialized Committee, and Ge Jiangping, Executive Vice Chair and Secretary-General. Six industry experts were invited to underscore how hyperbaric oxygen medicine is steadily transcending the traditional boundaries of clinical practice, advancing along a new trajectory toward precision medicine, multidisciplinary integration, and intelligent healthcare.

Li Jian’an, Honorary Dean of the School of Rehabilitation Medicine at Nanjing Medical University, delivered a presentation titled “The Scientific Frontiers of Rehabilitation for Disorders of Consciousness.” Starting with an exploration of the essential nature of consciousness, he systematically outlined the assessment framework and rehabilitation‑treatment pathways for disorders of consciousness, while offering an in-depth analysis of the opportunities for advancement that technological innovation brings to this field. Balancing a realistic appraisal of the current state of the discipline with a forward‑looking perspective on its future trajectory, his remarks resonated deeply with the audience and prompted thoughtful reflection.

Wan Chunxiao, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, has defined the value framework of hyperbaric oxygen therapy from the perspective of neurorehabilitation. She emphasized that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has become an important neuromodulatory intervention and, through comparative analyses with various neuromodulation techniques, is exploring more optimized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This perspective has opened up broad avenues for the innovative development of the discipline.

Long Ying, a consultant in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Department of Shenzhen People’s Hospital, delivered an academic presentation titled “From Experience to Precision: AI‑Empowered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Private Healthcare Institutions.” Drawing on an analysis of current shortcomings and potential risks in clinical hyperbaric oxygen therapy, she proposed leveraging artificial intelligence to systematically integrate into key processes such as chamber scheduling and operations, as well as comprehensive patient management. She articulated a holistic approach to standardized, full‑cycle management of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, thereby clarifying practical pathways and future directions for enhancing the quality and efficiency of care while improving the patient experience.

Bi Sheng, Chair of the Rehabilitation Medicine Professional Committee of the Association, delivered a special academic presentation titled “Report on Asia’s First High-Level Amputation with TMR Prosthetics,” showcasing cutting-edge research in the field of neural reconstruction and providing a vivid demonstration of innovative medical technologies in practice. His talk enabled fellow attendees to gain a profound appreciation for the vast prospects and boundless potential inherent in multidisciplinary integration and collaboration.

Gao Jirong, Director of the Wake-Up Center at Nanjing Zijin Hospital, stated that… CNCRS Scale He provided a detailed elaboration of the specific content. By systematically comparing relevant assessment scales from both China and abroad, he convincingly demonstrated the unique advantages of the Chinese‑developed CNCRS scale in terms of cultural adaptability and its emotional‑assessment dimension, thereby furnishing a solid foundation for the localized dissemination and standardized application of tools for assessing disorders of consciousness.

Ma Yingchun, Director of the Nephrology Department at the School of Rehabilitation Medicine of Capital Medical University, systematically outlined the latest advances in smart diagnosis and treatment for renal rehabilitation, addressing key challenges in the rehabilitation process and further advancing the discourse on “digital‑intelligence‑driven” approaches.

Sub-venue 1: Digital Intelligence Driving Kidney Health

Although hyperbaric oxygen medicine and nephrology belong to distinct disciplines and may appear to be separated by disciplinary barriers with limited interconnection, they have achieved cross‑disciplinary integration within a multidisciplinary team (MDT) framework, sparking innovative breakthroughs and highlighting the value of such collaboration. This session centers on the integrated development of these two fields, with experts presenting on cutting‑edge topics such as molecular‑targeted therapies for membranous nephropathy, the construction of multifunctional vascular access, and the application of machine learning in predictive models for chronic kidney disease complicated by heart failure. Particularly noteworthy is the demonstrated efficacy of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in alleviating insomnia among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, which has emerged as a key focus of this academic exchange. These findings provide robust evidence‑based support and actionable clinical pathways for the standardized implementation of the “hyperbaric oxygen plus renal rehabilitation” model.

Sub-venue 2: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Techniques and Clinical Applications in Critical Care

This session focused on the clinical challenges and safety boundaries of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in critically ill patients, with in-depth discussions and experience sharing centered on key clinical issues. Presentations included an overview of pediatric mechanical‑assisted hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a detailed case report of a 20‑kg child, providing valuable clinical guidance for the safe application of hyperbaric oxygen in low‑body‑weight patients. The session also featured a systematic review and thorough discussion by experts on the perioperative utility of hyperbaric oxygen and the optimal timing for its intervention in the management of critically ill patients. In addition, for critically ill patients with subpleural pulmonary bullae, experts shared key considerations for risk assessment in hyperbaric oxygen therapy along with three illustrative clinical cases, sparking vigorous academic debate about the delineation of contraindications. Furthermore, research findings on the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on electroencephalographic activity in patients with disorders of consciousness offered a novel scientific perspective—grounded in neuroelectrophysiology—for evaluating treatment outcomes in this patient population. Throughout the session, the program remained firmly attuned to pressing clinical challenges and practical needs, making it a focal point of intense interest among colleagues in the field of critical care medicine.

Sub-venue 3: “Deep Oxygen, Far-reaching Horizons” — Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Poisoning

This conference centers on the diagnosis and treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning, systematically presenting a comprehensive, end-to-end research framework that spans big‑data-driven scientific inquiry to clinical application, and from emergency care to full‑course rehabilitation. The use of REDCAP in multi‑center CO‑poisoning studies highlights the potential of real‑world data to inform clinical research, while big‑data analytics in CO‑poisoning management offers a macroscopic perspective on disease patterns. At the clinical level, early hyperbaric oxygen intervention for toxic encephalopathy and an integrated model of critical‑care rehabilitation are thoroughly outlined; advances in neuromodulation techniques for treating CO poisoning further broaden therapeutic strategies beyond conventional hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A case of brainstem hemorrhage—along with its associated assessment and management of consciousness disorders—and a practical example of Tencent Cloud’s application in hyperbaric oxygen training vividly embody the conference’s guiding principles of “cross‑disciplinarity, integration, innovation, and development.”

Plenary Committee Meeting

During this year’s annual meeting, the Second Plenary Session of the First Term and the Second Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Specialized Committee were held at Baoxing Hospital in Shenzhen. The meetings were chaired by Ge Jiangping, Executive Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Specialized Committee. In his annual work report, Executive Deputy Director and Secretary-General Ge Jiangping systematically reviewed and summarized the interim achievements made over the past year in areas such as organizational development, academic exchange, standard-setting, and grassroots training, while also outlining the Committee’s plans for the next phase. The session approved the addition of two new standing committee members and eleven new committee members. In his address, President Qian Yangming expressed full recognition of the Specialized Committee’s accomplishments over the past year and voiced high hopes for the future development of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy discipline. Concluding the meeting, Chairperson Li Jinsheng emphasized that the Committee has successfully completed its critical foundational work, from establishing itself to becoming fully operational; he urged both acknowledging these achievements and addressing existing shortcomings. Looking ahead, he outlined five priority areas—implementation of group standards, academic exchange, quality‑control system building, talent and discipline development, and openness and innovation—to guide the Committee’s next steps.

Nationally Recommended Continuing Medical Education Program

During the conference, a nationally recommended continuing medical education program—the Workshop on Scale-Based Assessment of Disorders of Consciousness in Brain Injury—was held concurrently. Nearly one hundred clinical leaders and research professionals from intensive care rehabilitation units, neurology and neurosurgery departments, ICUs, hyperbaric oxygen therapy centers, and rehabilitation medicine departments attended, engaging in in-depth discussions on the precise assessment of disorders of consciousness. The curriculum progressed systematically, moving from theoretical lectures to case analyses, and from critical reflection to hands-on practical guidance, delivering a high‑quality academic training session that was both substantive and highly applicable.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Knowledge Competition

On the afternoon of May 9, the inaugural Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Knowledge Competition of the specialized committee kicked off with great fanfare in the conference hall of Shenzhen Baoxing Hospital. With the theme “Learning Through Competition, ‘Oxygen’ Safeguards Life,” the event brought together 24 medical, technical, and nursing professionals from numerous healthcare institutions nationwide, forming eight teams to compete. The competition covered core topics including the fundamentals of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, clinical indications and contraindications, safe equipment operation, complication prevention and control, and emergency response, comprehensively testing participants’ theoretical knowledge and on-the-spot adaptability. The Shenzhen Baoxing Hospital team clinched first place thanks to their steady performance and seamless teamwork, while Nanjing Zijin Hospital, Qingdao United Family Hospital, and Shenzhen Weiguang Hospital each took second place. The remaining participating teams were awarded third place.

This two-day academic conference featured a packed, tightly scheduled agenda and rich, substantive content, encompassing in-depth discussions on cutting-edge research as well as exchanges of clinical experience. It also addressed the organizational development and strategic planning of the specialized committee, along with the cultivation and growth of young talent, delivering a high‑quality scholarly outcome. At the cusp of the “AI + Healthcare” era, hyperbaric oxygen medicine is poised for a new phase of rapid advancement. The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Professional Committee of the China Association of Private Medical Institutions will take this conference as a fresh starting point, guided by the principles of “cross‑disciplinary integration, innovation, transformation, and sustainable development.” It will continue to leverage AI to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic services, deepen interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthen talent‑development pipelines, ensuring that high‑quality hyperbaric oxygen care reaches a broader population. With this event igniting academic momentum and fostering vibrant innovation in Shenzhen, the committee will join forces with colleagues nationwide, pooling their efforts to usher in a new chapter of high‑quality development in hyperbaric oxygen medicine.