General practice education and training in southern China: recent development and ongoing challenges under the health care reform
- Author:
Wang HHX
;
Wang JJ
;
Zhou ZH
;
Wang XW
;
Xu L
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
general practice;
education and training;
health care reform;
southern China
- MeSH:
education;
General Practice;
Health Care Reform;
China
- From:Malaysian Family Physician
2013;8(3):2-10
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
China has launched a general practice (GP)-orientated primary care reform in 2009 to develop a more productive, coordinated, and cost-effective system to maintain and improve the health and wellbeing of one-fifth of the world population. The restructure of the health care system with a focus on primary care requires practitioners working on GP as gatekeepers for service delivery that is responsive
to the needs of people. It is particularly prioritised to establish a sound education and training system to ensure that the competencies of practitioners are aligned with local health care needs. This article aims to provide a brief review of the development of GP, including exemplary model of education and training currently implemented in southern China, as well as the challenges to be addressed in the next step. There is a shortage of well-trained and qualified general practitioners in China where more than
half of the licensed clinicians in primary care are educated below the undergraduate level. Although
there is a stepwise increase in recognition that the capacity of GP is pivotal to the success of primary
care development in China, challenges coming from resource restriction, rural and urban disparity, social attitude, and community involvement are highlighted as major bottlenecks that currently hinder the rapid development of GP in China. Supportive policy and guidelines are necessary to build up strong GP recognition and ensure adequate resources to underpin a robust primary care system to deliver affordable and effective health care services for the world’s largest population. It might share
some similar experiences with other countries that are struggling to develop a GP-based primary care system.
- Full text:P020140711593578595551.pdf
