Patients waiting for their appointments in a hospital in Beijing Photo: IC PHOTO

“The greatest loneliness is going to the hospital alone.” This widely circulated remark may be more of a humorous quip than a scientifically grounded conclusion, yet it resonates with many people. Facing a crowded, noisy, and unfamiliar hospital environment, along with complicated medical procedures, patients can easily feel uneasy or isolated. Against this backdrop, patient accompaniment services—covering companionship during medical visits, running errands, and assisting with consultations—have emerged in response to real needs. These services can ease communication between patients and medical staff, improve the efficiency of medical visits, and provide psychological reassurance, reflecting a spirit of humanistic care. However, the industry has drawn criticism for problems such as uneven practitioner qualifications and the disruption of medical order by so-called “medical scalpers.” For these reasons, there is an urgent need to standardize patient accompaniment services and guide the sector toward a healthy and sustainable development path.

Promising prospects

In recent years, patient accompaniment services have expanded rapidly in many parts of China, revealing considerable market potential. This growth is driven by several interrelated factors.

Changes in demographic structure: Population aging has significantly increased demand for accompaniment services, with older adults constituting the main group of service users. In China, the population aged 60 and above rose from 264 million to 310 million between 2020 and 2024, accounting for 22% of the total population. Around 80% of older adults report living with chronic conditions, which often require frequent hospital visits. In addition, more than half of China’s elderly population are empty-nesters, with the proportion exceeding 70% in some urban and rural areas. At the same time, single-person households are becoming more common. By 2020, the number of one-person households had reached 125 million, rising from 14.1% of all households in 2010 to 25.4%.

Current healthcare environment: The realities of healthcare services have objectively created a market for patient accompaniment services. First, as digital healthcare systems become more widespread, many older adults who are unfamiliar with smart technologies require assistance throughout the medical process. Second, imbalances in the distribution of medical resources between urban and rural areas, as well as across regions, have led to an increase in cross-regional medical visits. In such cases, accompaniment workers can handle logistical tasks on behalf of patients, saving them considerable time and energy. Finally, although some hospitals offer their own accompaniment services, these are often constrained by limited staffing and narrow service scopes—typically confined to hospital premises—making it difficult to meet patients’ diverse needs.

Shifting social perceptions: New forms of the gig economy—including food delivery, ride-hailing, and patient accompaniment—are steadily expanding into everyday life, reshaping lifestyles and perceptions. An increasing number of older adults and people living alone who prefer not to burden others, as well as adult children who are unable to accompany their parents to medical appointments for various reasons, are increasingly willing to rely on patient accompaniment services.

Market opportunities: Where demand exists, supply follows. Relatively low entry barriers and flexible working hours make patient accompaniment services an appealing employment option, suitable for both full-time and part-time work. At the same time, the sector has begun to attract entrepreneurial interest, as it does not require heavy investment in equipment or complex technological research and development.

Fostering healthy development

At present, patient accompaniment services remain insufficiently regulated. Nevertheless, they hold clear potential to expand elderly care services, stimulate related consumption, and create employment. It is therefore important to recognize both the practical demand for and the positive role of patient accompaniment services, and to guide the industry toward standardized and healthy development, making medical visits more convenient and reassuring for the public.

Refining top-level design: The government should clearly articulate its support for patient accompaniment services. Patient accompaniment workers should also be incorporated into the national occupational classification system in a timely manner, thereby clarifying the industry’s legal status. In addition, competent authorities should be designated in line with the characteristics of service users and the functions of relevant government agencies.

Strengthening industry standards: Since patient accompaniment services directly concern patients’ health and well-being, clear qualification requirements should be established for practitioners, covering professional knowledge, caregiving skills, and physical fitness. Unified standards should be set for services provided and corresponding fees in order to build a more professional workforce. Practitioners should also demonstrate patience, listen attentively, and help patients relieve stress. Those who fail to meet service standards or who disrupt industry or medical order should be warned or disqualified.

Improving regulation: As a nascent industry, patient accompaniment services require careful, on-the-ground investigation and input from multiple stakeholders—including service providers, patients, hospitals, and government departments—to develop a thorough understanding of its characteristics, current state, and future trends. On this basis, a sound and scientifically informed regulatory framework can be established.

Wang Qiulin is an associate research fellow from the Institute of Science and Technology Strategy at the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences.