Pharmaceuticals

Fri, 07/23/2010 - 10:06

Shanghai. July 22. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's hospitals and community health centers (CHC) should integrate their services to improve the quality of health care, a hospital director said at an industry conference in Hangzhou on July 21.

"It is not equitable that grassroots medical institutions, such as CHCs, provide regular medical services and chronic disease treatment, while large hospitals are only responsible for treating serious illnesses," Xiao Chuanshi, director of the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, said at the China Community Health Services Development Summit held by Beijing Sinohealth Medicine Research Center.

Xiao also pointed out that although 80 percent of health care resources go to hospitals, 80 percent of demand is for services which many believe should be provided by grassroots institutions.

Patients in China often choose hospitals over grassroots institutions because they are perceived to offer better quality services. Grassroots medical institutions are generally classified as CHCs or clinics, which are smaller than CHCs.

Over the past several years, the Chinese government has increased investment in grassroots institutions, helping them recruit better doctors in a bid to attract patients and increase the role of such institutions in the health care system.

Although CHCs are upgrading their facilities, attracting patients is still difficult. Large hospitals rarely have this problem.

"Grassroots medical institutions face two problems: patients believe the doctors are better in hospitals, and medical school graduates usually only work in the grassroots clinics for a short time before moving on," Xiao said.

"Both problems can be solved through the integration of services offered by hospitals and CHCs," said Xiao.

From October 2005, Xiao's hospital started to cooperate with local CHCs, such as the Yingze District Community Health Center. The hospital helps the centers in doctors training, patient transfers, information management and educational programs. Over the past four years, experienced doctors from the hospital handles 10,645 cases in CHCs.

The Shanxi hospital also holds senior physicians accountable for fulfilling their responsibility to work with CHC doctors to improve treatment for chronic disease patients. In 2009, the hospital sent four overseas-trained physicians specializing in diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and digestive system diseases to help CHC doctors manage the health of chronic disease patients.

"We are conducting research to assess how the accountability system is improving chronic disease treatment," Xiao said.

With the support of the local government, the hospital is also allowing medical school graduates officially employed by the hospital to work in CHCs on an experimental basis.

Xiao suggested the possibility of rotating new college graduates between large hospitals and CHCs every three years. "This could resolve the shortage doctors in CHCs and resident physicians in large hospitals," he said.

Given the fact that there are about 1,200 grade three hospitals and over 7,000 CHCs in China, Xiao said it would be feasible for one large hospital to support six CHCs. This would diversify the medical services offered by both types of institution.

During the second half of last year, China's health authorities implemented a campaign encouraging each large hospital in China to support three lower-tier medical intuitions.

However, according to Xiao, many large hospitals have not fully embraced the campaign. Some doctors at large hospitals believe grassroots institutions lack sufficient equipment, and even the necessary medicines.

Doctors sent to grassroots institutions should make it their priority to help medical staff treat chronic diseases and adhere strictly to treatment guidelines, he added.

"The health authorities should view the success of the program as an indicator of the performance of hospital directors. This will ensure that hospitals offer effective support," he said.