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Table 1 Main policy documents of China’s smart home for elderly care

From: Smart home for elderly care: development and challenges in China

Stage

Policy document(s)

Department

Time

Main content

Seed stage (2008–2011)

Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting Home-based Elderly Care Services

National Working Commission on Ageing.etc

2008

To establish elderly care hotline, emergency rescue system and service information platform in community

Construction Plan of Social Elderly Care Service System (2011–2015)

General Office of the State Council

2011

To construct community-based elderly care platform using hotline, information network, community-based calling system

Start-up stage (2012–2014)

Notice on Comprehensive Reform Pilot of Elderly Care Service Industry

Ministry of Civil Affairs, National Development and Reform commission

2013

To use internet, IoTs and other technologies to improve the managemental and informationalized level of elderly care services

Several Opinions on Speeding up the Development of Elderly Care Service Industry

State Council of China

2013

To build smart platform for community to provide emergency call, health consultation and other elderly services

Development stage (2015–2016)

Instruction to Promoting Internet plus Plan

National Development and Reform commission.etc

2015

To encourage health service organizations to use cloud computing, big data and other technologies to build public information platforms and provide personalized and long-term health management services

Notice on the Pilot Reform of Home-based Elderly Care Conducted by the Central Budget

Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Finance

2016

To develop smart home care technology, enrich smart homecare modes and reduce the cost of smart homecare for the elderly

Several Opinions on Fully Opening up the Elderly Care Service Market and Improving Elderly Care Service’s Quality

General Office of the State Council

2016

To allow and encourage private capital to provide smart home care services for the elderly

Popularization stage (2017–2019)

The 13th Five-year Plan for the Aging Development and Elderly Care Service System Construction

State Council of China

2017

To establish information platform for home-based community elderly care services focusing on disabled, solitary and empty nest elderly

The 13th Five-year Plan for Healthy Aging (2016–2020)

National Health and Family Planning Commission.etc

2017

To build smart health and caring service platform, connect medical and caring service providers at all levels to provide all kinds of health and caring services for the elderly

Action Plan for the Development of Smart Health and Elderly Care Service Industry (2017–2020)

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Civil Affairs

2017

To clarify overall planning for the development of smart home for elderly care, put forward specific action plans on key issues such as technology research and service promotion