China's Health Commission Issues Guidelines to Strengthen Ties Between Healthcare and Elderly Care

China’s Health Commission Issues Guidelines to Strengthen Ties Between Healthcare and Elderly Care

The National Health Commission, in conjunction with three other bureaus, has issued the “Notice on Deepening Collaboration Agreements Between Medical/Health Institutions and Elderly Care Institutions.” This document outlines the requirements for cooperation between medical and health institutions and elderly care institutions, focusing on content, safety, mechanisms, and modes of collaboration.

Key Takeaways from the Notice:

  1. Collaboration Content Determination:
    Both medical and health institutions and elderly care institutions are to negotiate and determine the collaboration content based on their qualifications and service needs. This process is to be guided by the principles of “equality, voluntariness, proximity, service connection, and common development.”
  2. Legal Compliance and Agreement Filing:
    The collaboration agreement must be conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, with filings made at the practice locations of multiple institutions for physicians.
  3. Grassroots Collaboration Agreement Mechanism:
    A mechanism will be established to support elderly care institutions in need, connecting them with various grassroots medical and health institutions within their jurisdiction for agreement cooperation. Elderly residents in nursing homes will be included in the scope of family doctor contract services, with potential annual centralized home health check-ups for those aged 65 and above.
  4. Encouragement of Multi-Level Collaboration:
    The government encourages multi-level collaboration agreements, supporting elderly care institutions willing to cooperate with comprehensive hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, specialized hospitals, and other institutions. This is to maximize the role of departments such as geriatrics and rehabilitation medicine and to encourage private institutions to participate.
  5. Embedded Services and Custody-Based Agreement Cooperation:
    Institutions with the necessary conditions are encouraged to provide embedded services in accordance with the law and regulations, exploring custody-based agreement cooperation based on mutual willingness and clear definitions of rights and obligations.
  6. Publicity and Awareness:
    Various regions are advised to carry out publicity through multiple channels and forms to increase awareness among society, industries, the elderly, and their close relatives.-Fineline Info & Tech

Insight, China's Pharmaceutical Industry