COURTESYPHOTOSAFTERbeingstruckdownbybrainhemorrhageattheendof2014,GuoFengqinsawherlifechangefortheworst.
Afterintensivetreatmentatthehospital,the63-year-oldwomanregainedconsciousness,butremainedunabletogoaboutonherown.Sheneededtheassistanceofherhusbandorsoneverytimeshehadtogobacktothehospitalforherfollow-uptreatment.
“Myhusbandwasgettingolderandhishealthwasnotgood.Mysonwasbusywithworkanddailycarewasabigproblemforme.IfeltlikeIwasaburdenformyfamily,”saidGuo.
Fortunately,thingsstartedgettingbetterforGuoin2016,andherhealthgraduallyimproved.SheowesmuchofthispositiveturnaroundtoYangHui,astudentatPekingUnionMedicalCollegeHospitalandaregisterednurseonYihu365,thefirstonlineplatforminChinatoprovidein-homenursingservices.
“WithaplatformlikeYihu365,wherenursesvisitourhometoprovideservices,IamsparedfromthetroublesofgoingtothehospitalwheneverIneedaninfusiontherapyorachangeinmedicationprescription.Nurseswhoworkinnearbyhospitalscancomeandseemeafterwork,whichhasreallybeenconven-ient,cost-savingandcarefree,”GuotoldChinAfrica.
Visitingnurse
Guoisnotalone.AccordingtotheOfficeoftheNationalWorkingCommitteeonAging,thenumberofelderlypeopleabove60yearsoldinChinareachedover220millionin2015,with40millionofthembeingdisabledorsemi-disabled.HavinginjectionsathomeisaservicedemandedbyplentyofelderlypatientsinChinawhohavedifficultiesgettingabout.Nevertheless,publicandcommunityhospitalsoftendon’tprovidesuchserviceduetoinsufficientworkforceandthehighcostsinvolved.
Inresponse,theYihu365mobileapplicationwasreleasedonDecember22,2015,whichisamobileInternetserviceplatformdedicatedtomedicalcare,withat-homeinjectionsprovidedbyvisitingnursesasitsmainservice.
“Itnormallytakes10minutesforaprofessionalnursetoprocessurinarycatheterizationforanelder.Butcommunityhospitalsusuallydon’tprovidevisitingnurseservices,sothepatient’sfamilyhastocallanemergencyambulanceandsendthepatienttoanhospital,andthenbringthepatientbackoncetheurinarycatheterizationisdone,”saidWeiGuilei,cofounderofYihu365.
Atthemoment,Yihu365providesprofessionalmedicalservicessuchasinjection,infusion,bloodcollection,urinarycatheterizationandnasalfeeding,withpricesrangingfrom100yuanto200yuan($15to$30)perhomevisit,whichissomewhathigherthanhospitalfeesandmayposeanadditionalburdenontargetpatients.
Withthisinmind,theBeijingMunicipalHealthandFamilyPlanningDepartmentissuedanoticein2016.Thenoticesaidtheexpensesofin-homemedicalservicescouldbereimbursediftheyconformtomedicalinsuranceregulations.Thiscouldlargelyeasetheburdenofpatientswhoareinneedofsuchservices.
Currently,theservicesareavailableinplaceslikeBeijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,JiangsuandZhejiang,andotherprovincesandcitieswillfollowsoon.
Yihu365providesdoorto-doorinjectionservicesbyvisitingnursesforelderlypatientsMultiplebenefits
Yihu365alsobringsnewopportunitiestonurses,especiallythosewhohavefreetimeandwanttomakeextramoney.
“Nursesusuallyhavemorefreetimeafterworkthandoctors,sodoor-to-doorserviceshelpincreaseourincome,”saidYang.“Yihu365sendsorderstothenurseswhoareclosesttothepatients,soIusuallyprovideservicestouserswhoarenearmyhospital,andittakeslittletimetraveling.”
Insteadofhavingpatientscrowdinghospitals,nursescanprovideprofessionalmedicalservicestopatientsduringtheirleisuretime,whichisbothtimeandenergyefficient.Inaddition,theservicesinvolveddonotrequiremedicalinquiryorlaboratorytest,andcaneasilybedoneathome.
Theplatformadoptsastrictvettingsystem.Mostnursesworkatnationaltop-levelhospitalsinChinaandhavethreeyearsormoreofclinicalnursingexperience,whilenursesfromcommunity-basedinstitutionsarerequiredtohavemorethanfiveyearsofexperience.Asofnow,morethan20,000certifiednurseshaveregisteredwiththeplatform.
Topreventrisksofmedicalnegligence,Yihu365launchedtheAngel’sEyesprojectonDecember9,2016,andthecompanyprovidesfree-of-chargeinsurancestopatientsandnurses.“Thisprojectcanbetterprotecttheinterestsofbothpatientsandnurses,”saidYang.
AsofOctober2016,thenumberofregisteredusersonYihu365hadreached15million,andthemonthlytransactionvolumeexceeded$46million.
ButYihu365isonlythetipofaboomingindustry.In2015,themobilemedicalcareindustrywasworth$679million,witha54.24-percentyear-on-yeargrowth;thetotalnumberofusersreached130million,anincreaseofmorethan66millioncomparedto2014.Themobilemedicalcareindustrysizeisexpectedtoreach$1.5billionbytheendof2017,accordingtoQianzhan,aconsultationorganizationfocusingonemergingindustries.
Upgradedservices
LatestcensusdatashowthatthenumberofseniorcitizensinChinaisexpectedtoreach300millionby2025.Againstthisbackdrop,Chinaisfacinganacutelackofdoctorsandnurses.Currently,thereare3.28millionlicensednursesinChina.Nearly3millionadditionalnursesareneeded,accordingtoWei.
Astheelders’healthconditionsgraduallydecline,sodotheirself-carecapabilities.InChina,governmentsatvariouslevels,bothcentralandlocal,havestartedpayinggreatattentiontohealthcareforelders,andhaveexploredcreativemodesofprovidingmedicalandhealthcareservicestothissegmentofthepopulation.
Inviewofthegrowingneeds,asthefirstofficiallyrecognizedcompanyallowedtoexperimentwithonline-to-offlinemedicalandhealthcareservices,Yihu365isnowlookingtoextenditscoveragebeyondin-homeon-demandservices.ThecompanyrecentlyestablishedtheBeijingHome-BasedServicesforEldersPlatform,whichaimsatprovidingoverallnursingservices,sothatallelderlycitizensmayenjoytheachievementsoftechnologicaldevelopment.
FamilydoctorscannowsigncontractswithYihu365,whichisanimportantbreakthroughthatwillimprovetheuseefficiencyofmedicalresourcesbyenablingfirstdiagnosisatthegrassrootslevel,two-wayreferralsystem,andseparatedtreatmentforpatientswithacuteorchronicdiseases.
Inthefuture,Yihu365serviceswillincludehomevisitsbydoctors,thusopeningupthenextstepindoor-to-doormedicalservices.“ItisundoubtedlygoodforYihu365,andvisitingnursesarethefirststeptowardvisitingfamilydoctors,”saidWei.
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