Expert interpretation of the notice from the General Office of the National Health Commission on enhancing the capacity of elderly medical services

 Healthy aging is an inevitable requirement for promoting national strategies and meeting the health needs of the elderly. Geriatrics is the main force in maintaining and promoting the health of the elderly, and comprehensively enhancing the medical service capabilities of geriatrics is the foundation for promoting the development of healthy aging. Recently, the National Health Commission has formulated the "Notice on Enhancing the Capacity of Geriatric Medical Services" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), which puts forward specific work requirements around the construction of geriatric medicine departments, the construction of geriatric medical talent teams, the standardization of geriatric medical diagnosis and treatment services, and the enrichment of service models. By comprehensively enhancing the capacity of elderly medical services, improving the health support system for the elderly, meeting their medical service needs, and promoting the process of healthy aging.

1、 To meet the demand for comprehensive and continuous services in geriatric medicine and comprehensively enhance medical service capabilities

Geriatric medical services face complex elderly health conditions, involving disease prevention, personalized diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation nursing, and palliative care services, with comprehensive and continuous characteristics. This is significantly different from the current specialized medical model and is also a key point in improving the capacity of geriatric medical services. The Notice proposes to improve the number and quality of professional personnel, as well as the allocation of beds and basic equipment and facilities, through the standardized construction of geriatric medicine; By strengthening the construction of the elderly medical talent team, especially by enhancing the concept of healthy aging, training on elderly health-related knowledge and skills, a team with multidisciplinary cooperation and comprehensive continuous service capabilities will be formed; By standardizing and optimizing service models, innovating and enriching service models and content through multidisciplinary joint diagnosis and treatment, comorbidity management, etc., we will promote the transformation of geriatric medicine from a "disease centered" to a "people-centered" service model. On the basis of comprehensively improving the comprehensive and continuous medical service capabilities of geriatric medicine, better meeting the medical service needs of the elderly and promoting the development of healthy aging.

2、 Coordinate medical resources at all levels and effectively expand service coverage

Compared to the vast and complex health needs of the elderly, China's current geriatric medicine still lacks relevant institutions, teams, and services. It is particularly necessary to improve service efficiency and expand service coverage to benefit more elderly people. The Notice emphasizes strengthening the coordination and effective connection of resources among medical institutions, leveraging the service strengths of medical institutions at all levels, and providing targeted and convenient medical services for the elderly. Empowered by information technology, building and relying on inter institutional information service networks, providing remote medical care, remote training, out of hospital health monitoring and intervention services, unleashing the efficiency of elderly medical service resources, and expanding the coverage of high-quality elderly medical services.

3、 Elderly medical services should be guided by the maintenance and improvement of functions and the guarantee of quality of life

The "Notice" proposes that elderly medical services should be guided by the goal of maintaining and improving the functions and quality of life of the elderly. The "14th Five Year Plan for Healthy Aging" also proposes to guide the elderly to take "maintaining bodily functions and maintaining independent living abilities" as their health goals through active health education. We will better integrate the concept of healthy aging with a focus on functionality and quality of life into the services provided by professional personnel and the daily actions of the elderly, and promote the continuous advancement of elderly medical services towards the ideal elderly health goal of "aging without aging, illness without disability". Through the improvement of health concepts, the enrichment of elderly medical service models and content, and the empowerment of science and technology, the field of geriatric medicine will collaborate across multiple disciplines and fields to break through and innovate in the maintenance, improvement, replacement, and regeneration of elderly functions, better ensuring the quality of life of every elderly person.