By Peifeng Xu, BS, RRT, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical college, Hangzhou, China

Early in 2014 a group of dedicated Chinese Respiratory Therapists began a project to translate into Chinese the International Council for Respiratory Care (ICRC) eNewsletter , International Respiratory News. This was part of a larger effort to help promote Respiratory Care throughout China and the Association of Chinese Respiratory Care (ACRC). The group began to organize a team of respiratory therapists across China to build a professional communication platform for exchange of ideas and information. Key to this success was translation of materials like the Newsletter into Chinese and to use the internet to reach as many RT’s in China and Taiwan as possible. As a result of their efforts respiratory related news and information from around the world is shared via the internet on the “WeChat” platform which is similar to Facebook in the US.

The project is impressive and has met with great success. Currently almost every RT in China is on this platform, and every province in China has individuals focused on this platform. The RT pages on WeChat have more than 2000 Followers and more than one million hits. This platform is the only one network resource which exclusively serves respiratory therapists. Not only does the platform distribute the ICRC eNewsletter, but it also provides respiratory care related theory and practical knowledge, promotion of Chinese and foreign respiratory care conference reports and academic research. The goal of the ACRC is to promote learning and communication among respiratory therapists in China. The internet platform on WeChat provides the opportunity for the development of the respiratory care profession, recruitment to the field, and for the dissemination of practical clinical information.

At present, the information site for the ACRC is the legitimate translation publishing platform for ICRC in China and their future plans call for simultaneous Chinese/English release of respiratory related information. The Editorial Board for ACRC translates the ICRC International Respiratory News into Chinese, so China’s Respiratory Therapists can learn much more about international standards and the development of Respiratory Care on a global scale.