Digital Transformation of Nursing Services in Health 4.0 Hospitals

With the shift in healthcare models from “disease-centered treatment” to “health-centered management,” nursing services are facing the need for digital transformation. During his tenure as the president of the 251st Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army, the author created a model of “separate accounting for medical and nursing services and refined disciplinary management,” which drove the hospital’s sustained and rapid development. This research won the second prize for scientific and technological progress, and the hospital was recognized as a “National Digital Hospital Demonstration Pilot Unit.” Subsequently, the author served as the president of several hospitals, including Xi’an Chang’an Hospital, Nanchang 334 Hospital, Beijing Beiya Orthopedic Hospital, Chengde Shuangluan District Hospital, and Chengdu Qingchengshan Hospital, successfully replicating and promoting this refined digital management model. After assuming the role of president at Hebei Hua’ao Hospital in January 2024, the author proposed specific strategies for the digital transformation of nursing services based on the hospital’s actual conditions. This paper explores the necessity and implementation pathways for the digital transformation of nursing services, both within and beyond hospital walls, based on the author’s Health 4.0 hospital service model and the practical context of Hebei Hua’ao Hospital. The discussion focuses on the definition of nursing service products, optimization of nursing service processes, separate accounting for medical and nursing services, and performance management.