China’s first national standard for commercial patient companion services took effect on November 1st, setting clear rules on duties, training and patient protection.
For 68-year-old Chang Shuyan, travelling to Harbin in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province for medical treatment was not easy. She has several chronic conditions, and navigating a large hospital, attending multiple examinations and using digital services all presented challenges.
“I was worried about feeling unwell while waiting, with no one around to help,” she said. Having a patient companion to organise her needs and record the doctor’s instructions gave her peace of mind.
As more people seek medical care without family members by their side, patient companion services are becoming an increasingly visible part of China’s healthcare landscape. Now, the growing sector has a national standard to guide its development.
On November 1st, China’s first national standard for commercial patient companion services, Commercial Patient Companion Service—General Requirements (GB/T 47801-2026), came into effect. It sets out what companions can and cannot do, while introducing requirements for staff training, health checks and service management.
A Growing Need for Companionship
Patient companions help people navigate hospital visits. Their tasks include assisting with registration, guiding patients between departments, collecting medicines and test results, and recording doctors’ instructions.
The demand comes from several groups. Older people may struggle with long walks and unfamiliar digital systems. Patients travelling to other cities for treatment often need help navigating large hospitals. Meanwhile, people living alone may also want someone by their side during medical visits.
China’s ageing population is one factor behind this demand. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the country had 323.38 million people aged 60 and above at the end of 2025, accounting for 23 per cent of its total population.
However, the need is not limited to older adults. Wang Bo, a 25-year-old programmer who lives alone, said he also values having someone accompany him to hospital.
“Waiting for test results on my own can make me anxious. Having someone to talk to helps ease that anxiety,” he said.
For many patients, therefore, the service offers more than practical assistance. It also provides emotional support during an often stressful experience.
An Industry Taking Shape
Patient companion services have developed in China over the past few years. Providers now include specialist agencies, individual workers and online platforms. Some insurance products also offer companion services as part of their benefits.
However, the sector has faced challenges. The role of patient companions was not always clearly defined, and service quality varied. Some workers also struggled to distinguish between helping patients navigate hospital procedures and offering medical advice.
For Liu Jianping, a young patient companion worker in Harbin, the lack of clear boundaries once made the job difficult.
“In the past, I relied entirely on experience and had no clear service boundaries. Patients sometimes asked me to interpret test reports or assess their conditions, and I found it difficult to know where to draw the line,” he said in an interview on November 1st.
“Now, the national standard makes it clear what we can and cannot do. Our role is to accompany patients, not to provide medical care.”
Industry reports have also highlighted problems involving poor service and patient privacy. In one case reported by Xinhua News Agency, a patient who hired a companion to deliver pathology samples to a hospital lost the samples during the service. The incident disrupted subsequent treatment and exposed the patient to risks involving personal information.
Clearer Rules for Patient Companions
The new national standard aims to address these problems by defining the responsibilities of service providers and their staff.
The standard identifies 12 types of services that companions can provide and seven activities they must not undertake, according to reports on its provisions. Permitted tasks include guiding patients through hospital procedures, queueing on their behalf, collecting medicines and providing companionship.
However, companions must not interpret medical test results, offer medical advice or make treatment decisions on behalf of patients. They must also avoid interfering with doctors’ professional decisions.
The standard further sets requirements for personnel management and pre-service training. It also addresses the protection of patients’ personal information, risk assessment, emergency response plans, service agreements, fee disclosure and complaint handling.
Importantly, the standard applies to commercial patient companion services provided by institutions. It distinguishes these services from voluntary assistance offered by hospitals and community organisations.
The introduction of the standard marks a step towards more consistent services in a sector that has grown in response to changing social needs. For patients who have to navigate hospitals alone, reliable assistance can make the process less stressful.
Written by Ronnie Yu.
If you liked this article, why not read: Medical Companion: A Booming New Workforce in China
