Ho Ting Wong1,2,3, Ying Qi Guo4, Marcus Yu Lung Chiu5, Si Chen6, Yong Zhao7. 1. State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resource Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China. 2. Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Early Warning on Infectious Disease, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China. 3. CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China. 4. Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China. 5. Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore. 6. Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China. 7. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of China's health-care reform from 2009 to 2011 by examining China's annual health-care workforce statistics of 2008 and 2011. DESIGN: The design of the study was a secondary data analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure used was the Primary Health Care Worker Accessibility Index (PHCWA). RESULTS: The statistics illustrated the impact health-care reform had on the provision of primary health care in rural areas. The results showed that the health-care reform of 2009 generally improved access to the primary health-care workforce in all 28 areas (range of increase: 13.18-324.0%). However, an increasing disparity in regional health care based on the increase of the standard deviations of PHCWA (range of increase: 36.44-77.10%) may be an issue that policy-makers and analysts will have to face. CONCLUSIONS: Concerted policy efforts from both the provincial and central governments are needed to narrow the gaps. Regional development should not only focus on the economic aspect, but also account for the fact that the adequate provision of primary health care is part of the infrastructure that makes development possible and sustainable.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of China's health-care reform from 2009 to 2011 by examining China's annual health-care workforce statistics of 2008 and 2011. DESIGN: The design of the study was a secondary data analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure used was the Primary Health Care Worker Accessibility Index (PHCWA). RESULTS: The statistics illustrated the impact health-care reform had on the provision of primary health care in rural areas. The results showed that the health-care reform of 2009 generally improved access to the primary health-care workforce in all 28 areas (range of increase: 13.18-324.0%). However, an increasing disparity in regional health care based on the increase of the standard deviations of PHCWA (range of increase: 36.44-77.10%) may be an issue that policy-makers and analysts will have to face. CONCLUSIONS: Concerted policy efforts from both the provincial and central governments are needed to narrow the gaps. Regional development should not only focus on the economic aspect, but also account for the fact that the adequate provision of primary health care is part of the infrastructure that makes development possible and sustainable.