The fee she paid, a little more than 300 yuan for each visit, was reasonable, she says, considering the hassle it saved by not having to go to a hospital.

"It's really convenient. I think the service is superior to that of some hospitals, and I'll definitely recommend it to my friends if they need it."

Sun Qian, 55, of Beijing, said: "I think this innovative way of receiving nursing can really benefit people like me."

He had surgery after rupturing an Achilles tendon while exercising and needed his dressings to be attended to regularly.

"Hospitals are always busy during Spring Festival and I didn't think that my condition warranted me going to the hospital. I'd heard about the home-visiting nursing service previously and decided to give it a go."

He and friends learned about apps such as Goldnurse about two years ago when they were talking about things such as taking care of elderly relatives, he says.

"But I guess it's going to be a long process of experimentation, and the government needs to do a lot in terms of guiding and regulating."

It would be of great help, especially for those who cannot leave their homes and are not so well off, if the costs for such home-based care can be included in the current medical insurance system, Sun says.

Zhang Kaili, who has been a full-time nurse for Goldnurse for more than six months, works in one of its nursing stations in Beijing. There she and colleagues receive clients and manage their medical affairs. Like Liu, she also undertakes home visits.

Their station can provide remote monitoring services for certain patients based on data collected through wearable devices, such as jackets that can monitor pulse and blood pressure and keep records of them, Zhang says.

"We can do a lot of things that people can do in hospitals. With remote monitoring we can respond quickly in the case of an emergency."