Shandong's Nursing Services Need Expansion to Meet Aging Population's Demands

The Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference has underscored the necessity for expanded nursing services and innovative care strategies to accommodate the rapidly growing need for personalized healthcare. During the annual meetings, which evaluate previous achievements and plan future initiatives, Cao Yingjuan, who heads the nursing department at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, expressed that leveraging information technology and specialized nursing services is vital for enhancing care standards.

Cao, with over three decades of nursing experience, highlighted the pressing demand for advanced healthcare services to cater to the developing needs of Shandong's aging population, which exceeds 100 million residents. According to the Shandong Development and Reform Commission, about 23.62 percent of this population is 60 years or older, amounting to approximately 24 million individuals.

With more than 400,000 registered nurses, Shandong possesses a robust resource base to meet the increasing healthcare needs. To better serve this demographic, Qilu Hospital has implemented an Internet Plus nursing platform that provides a range of services, including wound care and midwifery. An example of this platform's effectiveness is evident in a case where nurses provided vital home care to a 92-year-old bedridden man, leading to notable improvements in his health through scheduled nursing interventions.

Cao emphasized that employing information technology not only ensures continuous care through online consultations but also facilitates follow-up care and guidance for patients discharged from the hospital. This platform also delivers customized nursing instructions for elderly patients with disabilities or chronic conditions, adhering to international quality standards.

Furthermore, a patient identified as Li experienced significant benefits after undergoing 20 specialized treatment sessions for lower limb lymphedema at the breast surgery ward of the hospital. Li initially sought to explore the lymphedema nursing clinic but was pleasantly surprised by the advanced treatment that aligned with international benchmarks.

Cao concluded by advocating for greater accessibility to elderly care services and the exploration of new service models that merge rehabilitation with artificial intelligence, highlighting the need for the healthcare system in Shandong to adapt to the ongoing demographic shifts.