Preference of primary care patients for home-based healthcare and support services: a discrete choice experiment in China.

Importance: This research, utilizing discrete choice experiments, examines the preferences and willingness to pay for home-based healthcare and support services among residents in China, a country grappling with severe aging population, an area often underexplored in international scholarship. Objectives: This study aims to solicit the preferences of primary care patients for home-based healthcare and support services in China. Design setting and participants: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted on 312 primary care patients recruited from 13 community health centers in Wuhan and Kunming between January and May 2023. The experimental choice sets were generated using NGene, covering five attributes: Scope of services, health professionals, institutions, insurance reimbursements, and visiting fees. Main outcomes and measures: The choice sets were further divided into three blocks, and each participant was asked to complete one block containing 12 choice tasks. Mixed logit models were established to estimate the relevant importance coefficients of and willingness to pay for different choices, while Latent Class Logit (LCL) modeling was conducted to capture possible preferences heterogeneity. Results: The relevant importance of the scope of services reached 67.33%, compared with 19.84% for service institutions and 12.42% for health professionals. Overall, respondents preferred physician-led diagnostic and treatment services. LCL categorized the respondents into three groups: Group one (60.20%) was most concerned about the scope of services, prioritizing disease diagnosis and treatment over preventive care and mental health, while group two (16.60%) was most concerned about care providers (hospitals and medical doctors were preferred), and group three (23.20%) was most concerned about financial burdens. Conclusion: Primary care patients prefer physical health and medical interventions for home-based healthcare and support services. However, heterogeneity in preferences is evident, indicating potential disparities in healthcare and support at home services in China.

Health insurance and inequalities in catastrophic health spending in cancer patients. A cross-sectional study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of social health insurance programs in reducing inequality in the incidence and intensity of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) of cancer patients in China. METHOD: A convenient sample of 2534 cancer patients treated in nine hospitals in 2015 and 2016 were followed up through face-to-face interviews in March-December 2018. The incidence and intensity (mean positive overshoot) of CHE (≥ 40% household consumption) were calculated. RESULTS: About 72% of cancer patients experienced CHE events after insurance compensation, with the catastrophic mean positive overshoot amounting to 28.27% (SD: 15.83%) of the household consumption. Overall, social insurance contributed to a small percentage of drop in CHE events. Income-related inequality in CHE persisted before and after insurance compensation. Richer patients benefit more than poorer ones. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer treatment is associated with high incidence of CHE events in China. The alleviating effect of social health insurance on CHE events is limited.

Public trust in general practitioners and its association with primary care contracts: a cross-sectional study of community residents in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the level of public trust in general practitioners (GPs) and its association with primary care contract services (PCCS) in China. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Between September and December 2021, 4158 residents across eastern, central, and western China completed a structured self-administered questionnaire. Trust was assessed using the Chinese version of Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale. Multivariable linear regression models were established to identify predictors of trust. The effect size of PCCS on trust was estimated by the average treatment effect for the treated (ATT) through propensity score matching. RESULTS: The study participants had a mean Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale score of 36.82 (standard deviation = 5.45). Enrollment with PCCS (ß = 0.14, P < 0.01), Han ethnicity (ß = 0.03, P < 0.05), lower educational attainment (ß = -0.06, P < 0.01), higher individual monthly income (ß = 0.03, P < 0.05), better self-rated health (ß = 0.04, P < 0.05), chronic conditions (ß = 0.07, P < 0.01), and higher familiarity with primary care services (ß = 0.12, P < 0.01) and PCCS (ß = 0.21, P < 0.01) were associated with higher trust in GPs. The ATT of PCCS exceeded 1 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PCCS are associated with higher levels of trust in GPs. PCCS may become an effective tool to attract public trust in GPs, although the relationship between the two may be bi-directional.

Decomposing income-related inequality in health-related quality of life in mainland China: a national cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Health equity is an important indicator measuring social development and solidarity. However, there is a paucity in nationwide studies into the inequity in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in mainland China, in particular using the most recent data measuring HRQoL using the EuroQol 5-Dimension-5 Level (EQ-5D-5L). This study aimed to address the gap in the literature by estimating and decomposing income-related inequality of the utility index (UI) of EQ-5D-5L in mainland China. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Psychology and Behaviour Investigation of Chinese Residents (2022), including 19 738 respondents over the age of 18 years. HRQoL was assessed by the UI of the EQ-5D-5L. Concentration index (CI) was calculated to measure the degree of income-related inequality in the UI. The contributions of individual, behavioural and context characteristics to the CI were estimated using the Wagstaff decomposition method. RESULTS: The CI of the EQ-5D-5L UI reached 0.0103, indicating pro-rich inequality in HRQoL. Individual characteristics made the greatest contribution to the CI (57.68%), followed by context characteristics (0.60%) and health behaviours (-3.28%). The contribution of individual characteristics was mainly attributable to disparities in the enabling (26.86%) and need factors (23.86%), with the chronic conditions (15.76%), health literacy (15.56%) and average household income (15.24%) as the top three contributors. Educational level (-5.24%) was the top negative contributor, followed by commercial (-1.43%) and basic medical insurance (-0.56%). Higher inequality was found in the least developed rural (CI=0.0140) and western regions (CI=0.0134). CONCLUSION: Pro-rich inequality in HRQoL is evident in mainland China. Targeted interventions need to prioritise measures that aim at reducing disparities in chronic conditions, health literacy and income.

County Hospital Responses to Funding Reforms in Zhejiang, China: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

This study aimed to assess the effects of a two-stage funding reform, involving DRGs-based (Diagnostic Related Groups) payments for inpatient care and capitation funding for outpatient care, respectively, on services volume and care expenditure of county hospitals in Zhejiang province, China. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, involving 6 hospitals from 2 counties in the intervention group and 12 hospitals from 5 counties in the control group. The DRGs-based payments for inpatient care and capitation funding for outpatient care were introduced in January 2018 and January 2019, respectively. Controlled interrupted time-series analyses were performed to determine the effects of the funding reforms using monthly data over the period from January 2017 to December 2019. The volume of inpatient care decreased after the introduction of the first-stage DRGs-based payments, which was accompanied by an increase in the volume of outpatient visits. The DRGs-based payments led to a reduction of on average 1390 Yuan total expenditure per episode of inpatient care and 1116 Yuan out-of-pocket (OOP) payment per episode of inpatient care. However, the average outpatient expenditure per visit increased. So did the corresponding OOP payment per outpatient visit. The introduction of the second-stage capitation funding for outpatient care reversed the increasing trend of outpatient care. The average expenditure and OOP payment per outpatient visit decreased. The funding reforms create a significant effect on service volumes and expenditures in county hospitals. A coordinated approach to both inpatient and outpatient funding mechanisms is needed to minimize cost-shifting between inpatient and outpatient care and to achieve the intended policy outcomes.

Health-care practitioner use of prescription drug monitoring programs in clinical practice in Australia: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) are electronic databases used by prescribers and pharmacists to monitor the use of high-risk prescription medications subject to extramedical use. This study aimed to explore how Australian pharmacists and prescribers are using PDMPs in practice and to gain an understanding of barriers to tool use, as well as practitioner recommendations to increase tool usability and uptake. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists and prescribers who use a PDMP (n = 21). The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. RESULTS: The four themes that emerged were: (i) PDMP notifications combined with practitioner clinical judgement guide PDMP usability; (ii) practitioners use PDMPs to facilitate patient and practitioner communication; (iii) workflow systems integration impacts tool usability; and (iv) optimising PDMP information and data access including practitioner-tool engagement to improve tool uptake and usability. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners appreciate the value of PDMP information support for clinical decisions and patient communication. However, they also acknowledge the challenges to tool use and recommend improvements including enhanced workflow, systems integration, optimisation of tool information and national data sharing. Practitioners provide an important perspective on PDMP use in clinical practice. The findings can be drawn on by PDMP administrators to improve tool usefulness. Consequently, this may lead to an increase in practitioner PDMP use and optimise the delivery of quality patient care.

Examining clinical capability of township healthcare centres for rural health service planning in Sichuan, China: an administrative data analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the clinical capability of township healthcare centres (THCs), the main primary care providers in rural China, as a basis for rural health service planning. DESIGN: Observational study of quantitative analysis using administrative data. SETTING: Three counties with low, middle and high social economic development level, respectively, in Sichuan province western China. PARTICIPANTS: 9 THCs and 6 county hospitals (CHs) were purposively selected in the three counties. Summary of electronic medical records of 31 633 admissions from 1 January 2015 to 30 December 2015 of these selected health institutions was obtained from the Health Information Centre of Sichuan province. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Six indicators in scope of inpatient services related to diseases and surgeries in the THCs as proxy of clinical capability, were compared against national standard of capability building of THCs, among counties, and between THCs and CHs of each county. RESULTS: The clinical capability of THCs was suboptimal against the national standard, though that of the middle-developed county was better than that in the rich and the poor counties. THCs mainly provided services of infectious or inflammatory diseases, of respiratory and digestive systems, but lacked clinical services related to injuries, poisoning, pregnancy, childbirth and surgeries. A large proportion of the top 20 diseases of inpatients were potentially avoidable hospitalisations (PAHs) and were overlapped between THCs and CHs. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical capability of THCs was generally suboptimal against national standard. It may be affected by the economics, population size, facilities, workforce and the share of services of THCs in local health systems. Identification of absent services and PAHs may help to identify development priorities of local THCs. Clarification of the roles of THCs and CHs in the tiered rural health system in China is warranted to develop a better integrated health system.

Estimating the effect of increasing ambient temperature on antimicrobial resistance in China: A nationwide ecological study with the difference-in-differences approach.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the possible consequences of rising ambient temperatures brought on by global warming have been extensively discussed. However, the epidemiological evidence on the effects of temperature on AMR is rare and little is known about the role of socioeconomic inequities. This ecological study obtained 31 provinces AMR data of Escherichia Coli (E. coli) from the China Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (CARSS) over the period from 2014 to 2020, which were linked to the meteorological and socioeconomic data published in the China Statistical Yearbook. Modified difference-in-differences (DID) analyses were performed to estimate the effect of ambient temperature on AMR of E. coli to third-generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone and cefotaxime), carbapenems, and quinolones, adjusting for variations in meteorological and socioeconomic factors. We estimated that every 1 °C increase in average ambient temperature was associated with 2.71 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-4.24), 32.92 % (95 % CI: 15.62-52.81), and 1.81 % (95 % CI: 0.47-3.16) increase in the prevalence of E. coli resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone and cefotaxime), carbapenems and quinolones, respectively. The link was more profound in the regions with lower temperature and a median level of average humidity, and the regions with lower income, lower expenditure (in economics), lower health resources, and lower hospital admissions. Neither the replacement of the temperature variable nor the alternative approaches for confounding adjustment changed the positive association between ambient temperature and AMR. In general, there exists a positive association between ambient temperature and AMR, although the strength of such an association varies by socioeconomic and health services factors. The association is possibly nonlinear, especially for E. coli resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. The findings suggest that AMR control programs should explicitly incorporate weather patterns to increase their effectiveness.

Use of social health insurance for hospital care by internal migrants in China-Evidence from the 2018 China migrants dynamic survey.

Background: China's welfare system including social health insurance has been closely linked to its unique household registration system, despite high population mobility over the past few decades. This study aimed to determine the pattern of health insurance usage from internal migrants in mainland China for hospital care. Methods: Data were extracted from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey. The respondents who enrolled in a social health insurance program and reported illness or injury over the past year were eligible for this study (n = 15,302). Two groups of outcome indicators were calculated assessing the use (incidence and settlement location) of insurance funds for hospital care and the burden of hospital expenditure (total hospital expenditure, out-of-pocket payments, and share of insurance reimbursement), respectively. Logit regression and Heckman's sample selection models were established to determine the predictors of insurance fund usage and the burden of hospital expenditure, respectively. Results: Most respondents enrolled in a social health insurance program outside of their residential location (70.72%). About 28.90% were admitted to a hospital over the past year. Of those hospitalized, 72.98% were admitted to a hospital at their migration destination, and 69.96% obtained reimbursement from health insurance, covering on average 47% of total hospital expenditure. Those who had a local insurance fund aligned with residency (AOR = 2.642, 95% CI = 2.108-3.310, p < 0.001) and enrolled in employment-based insurance (AOR = 1.761, 95% CI = 1.348-2.301, p < 0.001) were more likely to use insurance funds for hospital care, and paid less out-of-pocket (ß = -0.183 for local funds, p = 0.017; ß = -0.171 for employment-based insurance, p = 0.005) than others. A higher share of insurance reimbursement as a proportion of hospital expenditure was found in the employment-based insurance enrollees (ß = 0.147, p < 0.001). Insurance claim settlement at the residential location was associated with lower total hospital expenditure (ß = -0.126, p = 0.012) and out-of-pocket payments (ß = -0.262, p < 0.001), and higher share of insurance reimbursement (ß = 0.066, p < 0.001) for hospital expenditure. Conclusion: Low levels of health insurance benefits for hospital care are evident for internal migrants in mainland China, which are associated with the funding arrangements linked to household registration and inequality across different funds.

Multimorbidity and catastrophic health expenditure: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Background: Population aging accompanied by multimorbidity imposes a great burden on households and the healthcare system. This study aimed to determine the incidence and determinants of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) in the households of old people with multimorbidity in China. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2018, with 3,511 old people (≥60 years) with multimorbidity responding to the survey on behalf of their households. CHE was identified using two thresholds: ≥10% of out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending in total household expenditure (THE) and ≥40% of OOP health spending in household capacity to pay (CTP) measured by non-food household expenditure. Logistic regression models were established to identify the individual and household characteristics associated with CHE incidence. Results: The median values of THE, OOP health spending, and CTP reached 19,900, 1,500, and 10,520 Yuan, respectively. The CHE incidence reached 31.5% using the ≥40% CTP threshold and 45.6% using the ≥10% THE threshold. It increased by the number of chronic conditions reported by the respondents (aOR = 1.293-1.855, p < 0.05) and decreased with increasing household economic status (aOR = 1.622-4.595 relative the highest quartile, p < 0.001). Hospital admissions over the past year (aOR = 6.707, 95% CI: 5.186 to 8.674) and outpatient visits over the past month (aOR = 4.891, 95% CI: 3.822 to 6.259) of the respondents were the strongest predictors of CHE incidence. The respondents who were male (aOR = 1.266, 95% CI: 1.054 to 1.521), married (OR = 1.502, 95% CI: 1.211 to 1.862), older than 70 years (aOR = 1.288-1.458 relative to 60-69 years, p < 0.05), completed primary (aOR = 1.328 relative to illiterate, 95% CI: 1.079 to 1.635) or secondary school education (aOR = 1.305 relative to illiterate, 95% CI: 1.002 to 1.701), lived in a small (≤2 members) household (aOR = 2.207, 95% CI: 1.825 to 2.669), and resided in the northeast region (aOR = 1.935 relative to eastern, 95% CI: 1.396 to 2.682) were more likely to incur CHE. Conclusion: Multimorbidity is a significant risk of CHE. Household CHE incidence increases with the number of reported chronic conditions. Socioeconomic and regional disparities in CHE incidence persist in China.

Defining timeliness in care for patients with lung cancer: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Early diagnosis and reducing the time taken to achieve each step of lung cancer care is essential. This scoping review aimed to examine time points and intervals used to measure timeliness and to critically assess how they are defined by existing studies of the care seeking pathway for lung cancer. METHODS: This scoping review was guided by the methodological framework for scoping reviews by Arksey and O'Malley. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO electronic databases were searched for articles published between 1999 and 2019. After duplicate removal, all publications went through title and abstract screening followed by full text review and inclusion of articles in the review against the selection criteria. A narrative synthesis describes the time points, intervals and measurement guidelines used by the included articles. RESULTS: A total of 2113 articles were identified from the initial search. Finally, 68 articles were included for data charting process. Eight time points and 14 intervals were identified as the most common events researched by the articles. Eighteen different lung cancer care guidelines were used to benchmark intervals in the included articles; all were developed in Western countries. The British Thoracic Society guideline was the most frequently used guideline (20%). Western guidelines were used by the studies in Asian countries despite differences in the health system structure. CONCLUSION: This review identified substantial variations in definitions of some of the intervals used to describe timeliness of care for lung cancer. The differences in healthcare delivery systems of Asian and Western countries, and between high-income countries and low-income-middle-income countries may suggest different sets of time points and intervals need to be developed.

Changes of inequality in functional disability of older populations in China from 2008 to 2018: a decomposition analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to determine the change of inequality in functional disability of older populations in China over the period from 2008 to 2018 and decompose the contribution of the personal and environmental predictors to the change. METHODS: Data were drawn from two waves (2008 and 2018) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Functional disability was assessed by the basic activities of daily living (ADL) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Concentration index (CI) was calculated to measure the socioeconomic inequality in ADL and IADL. A two-level linear regression model was established to identify the individual and care environmental predictors and their contribution to the inequality of ADL and IADL, respectively. The Oaxaca-type decomposition technique was adopted to estimate the contribution of these predictors to changes of the inequality in ADL and IADL over the period from 2008 to 2018. RESULTS: Socioeconomic inequality in functional disability of older adults increased over the period from 2008 to 2018, with the CI for ADL changing from - 0.0085 to - 0.0137 and the CI for IADL changing from - 0.0164 to - 0.0276, respectively. Self-rated economic status was the single most powerful predictor of changes in the inequality, although the growing and dominant rating of older persons with fare economic status could offset the detrimental effects of other (rich or poor) ratings on the changes. The enlarged inequality was also attributable to the increasing importance of regular exercise and its distributional changes, as well as the accumulative long-term effect of farming in earlier life. They outweighed the counteracting effects of rural residency, living with chronic conditions and in an institution. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic inequality in functional disability of older populations in China increased over the period from 2008 to 2018. Re-distribution of wealth remains to be a powerful instrument for addressing the inequality issue, but alone it is not enough. The detrimental accumulative effect of farming will not disappear any time soon. While rural residents are catching up with their urban counterparts, new challenges such as physical inactivity are emerging.

Effects of Volume-Price Contracts on Pharmaceutical Prices: A Retrospective Comparative Study of Public Hospitals in Hubei of China.

Background: Pharmaceutical expenditure has been increasing worldwide. Many countries have attempted to contain the increase through collective bargaining, including in China. In 2015, the Chinese government introduced a new policy to empower regional governments to reduce pharmaceutical prices through its existing tendering system which enables a lower price for products with higher procurement volumes. Xiangyang municipality in Hubei province took a lead in piloting this initiative. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the volume-price contract initiative on pharmaceutical price procured by the public hospitals in Xiangyang. Methods: A retrospective comparative design was adopted. The price of cardiovascular medicines (349 products under 164 International Nonproprietary Names) procured by the public hospitals in Xiangyang was compared with those procured in Yichang municipality in Hubei. A total of 15,921 procurement records over the period from January 2017 to December 2018 were examined (Xiangyang started the volume-price contract initiative in January 2018). Generalized linear regression models with a difference-in-differences approach which could reflect the differences between the two cities between January 2018 and December 2018 were established to test the effects of the volume-price contract initiative on pharmaceutical prices. Results: On average, the procurement price for cardiovascular medicines adjusted by defined daily dosage in Xiangyang dropped by 41.51%, compared with a 0.22% decrease in Yichang. The difference-in-differences results showed that the volume-price contract initiative resulted in a 36.24% drop (p = 0.006) in the price (30.23% for the original brands, p = 0.008), in addition to the therapeutic competition effect (31.61% reduction in the price, p = 0.002). The top 100 domestic suppliers were highly responsive to the initiative (82.80% drop in the price, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The volume-price contract initiative has the potential to bring down the price of pharmaceutical supplies. Higher responses from the domestic suppliers are evident.

Duration of intervals in the care seeking pathway for lung cancer in Bangladesh: A journey from symptoms triggering consultation to receipt of treatment.

Timeliness in seeking care is critical for lung cancer patients' survival and better prognosis. The care seeking trajectory of patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh has not been explored, despite the differences in health systems and structures compared to high income countries. This study investigated the symptoms triggering healthcare seeking, preferred healthcare providers (including informal healthcare providers such as pharmacy retailers, village doctors, and "traditional healers"), and the duration of intervals in the lung cancer care pathway of patients in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh among diagnosed lung cancer patients through face-to-face interview and medical record review. Time intervals from onset of symptom and care seeking events were calculated and compared between those who sought initial care from different providers using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Among 418 study participants, the majority (90%) of whom were males, with a mean age of 57 ±9.86 years, cough and chest pain were the most common (23%) combination of symptoms triggering healthcare seeking. About two-thirds of the total respondents (60%) went to informal healthcare providers as their first point of contact. Living in rural areas, lower levels of education and lower income were associated with seeking care from such providers. The median duration between onset of symptom to confirmation of diagnosis was 121 days, between confirmation of diagnosis and initiation of treatment was 22 days, and between onset of symptom and initiation of treatment was 151 days. Pre-diagnosis durations were longer for those who had sought initial care from an informal provider (p<0.05). Time to first contact with a health provider was shorter in this study compared to other developed and developing countries but utilizing informal healthcare providers caused delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Encouraging people to seek care from a formal healthcare provider may reduce the overall duration of the care seeking pathway.

Effects of cancer treatment on household impoverishment: a multicentre cross-sectional study in China.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and intensity of household impoverishment induced by cancer treatment in China. DESIGN: Average income and daily consumption per capita of the households and out-of-pocket payments for cancer care were estimated. Household impoverishment was determined by comparing per capita daily consumption against the Chinese poverty line (CPL, US$1.2) and the World Bank poverty line (WBPL, US$1.9) for 2015. Both pre-treatment and post-treatment consumptions were calculated assuming that the households would divert daily consumption money to pay for cancer treatment. PARTICIPANTS: Cancer patients diagnosed initially from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016 who had received cancer treatment subsequently. Those with multiple cancer diagnoses were excluded. DATA SOURCES: A household questionnaire survey was conducted on 2534 cancer patients selected from nine hospitals in seven provinces through two-stage cluster/convenience sampling. FINDINGS: 5.89% (CPL) to 12.94% (WBPL) households were impoverished after paying for cancer treatment. The adjusted OR (AOR) of post-treatment impoverishment was higher for older patients (AOR=2.666-4.187 for ≥50 years vs <50 years, p<0.001), those resided in central region (AOR=2.619 vs eastern, p<0.01) and those with lower income (AOR=0.024-0.187 in higher income households vs the lowest 20%, p<0.001). The patients without coverage from social health insurance had higher OR (AOR=1.880, p=0.040) of experiencing post-treatment household impoverishment than those enrolled with the insurance for urban employees. Cancer treatment is associated with an increase of 5.79% (CPL) and 12.45% (WBPL) in incidence of household impoverishment. The median annual consumption gap per capita underneath the poverty line accumulated by the impoverished households reached US$128 (CPL) or US$212 (WBPL). US$31 170 395 (CPL) or US$115 238 459 (WBPL) were needed to avoid household impoverishment induced by cancer treatment in China. CONCLUSIONS: The financial burden of cancer treatment imposes a significant risk of household impoverishment despite wide coverage of social health insurance in China.

Population norms for the EQ-5D-3L in China derived from the 2013 National Health Services Survey.

BACKGROUND: EQ-5D-3L is one of the most commonly used instruments for assessing health-related quality of life and cost-utility analyses, but it is not yet available in China. This study aims to develop population norms for the EQ-5D-3L in China in order to encourage appropriate use and interpretation of the EQ-5D-3L instrument. METHODS: Data were extracted from the 2013 National Health Services Survey on a nationally representative sample of 188 720 participants. The utility index based on the 2018 Chinese preference-based value sets were calculated for the participants with different demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Differences in reported problems and visual analogue scale (VAS) and utility index scores were tested using a logistic, linear and tobit regression model, respectively. RESULTS: The Chinese respondents were less likely to report problems on the EQ-5D dimensions compared with most populations in other countries. Pain/discomfort was the most commonly reported problem (12.6%). This resulted in a high ceiling effect (84.19%) on the utility index and high mean scores for the utility index (0.985 ± 0.056) and VAS (80.91 ± 13.74) in the Chinese population. Those who were younger, better educated, employed, married, had no illness condition, lived in a more developed region and had a higher income obtained higher scores in both VAS and utility index. The VAS and utility index scores were also associated with gender, residency and lifestyles, but not always in a consistent way. Male and rural residents had a higher VAS score but not in the utility index compared with their female and urban counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides national population norms for the EQ-5D-3L based on the 2018 Chinese preference-based value sets. The norms can be used as a reference for health evaluation studies. Cautions need to be taken for presenting and interpreting the utility index results given the high ceiling effect of the EQ-5D-3L instrument.

Mediating effect of social support on the association between life events and depression: A cross-sectional study of adolescents in Chongqing China.

ABSTRACT: Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in adolescents. The link between negative life events and depression has been well established. However, our understanding about the role of social support in the link, which is likely culture-dependent, is quite limited. This study aimed to determine the mediating effect of social support on the association between life events and depression in adolescents in Chongqing China.A total of 1512 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old in Chongqing of China were selected using a stratified cluster sampling strategy. Depression symptoms, negative life events, and perceived social support of the participants were measured using the Children's Depression Inventory, Adolescent Life Event Scale, and Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, respectively. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to detect their associations. A multivariate linear regression model was established to determine the association between life events and depression after adjustment for variations in socio-demographic variables. The mediating effect of social support on the association between negative life events and depression was tested using the structural equation model.About 16.8% of the participants were detected with depression. Depression was associated with negative life events and low levels of social support (P < .05). Both frequency and perceived importance of social support showed a mediating effect on the association between life events and depression.Social support has a mediating effect on the association between life events and depression. Strengthening social support may be considered as an effective interventional strategy on depression in adolescents.

Perceived Value of Electronic Medical Records in Community Health Services: A National Cross-Sectional Survey of Primary Care Workers in Mainland China.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree to which electronic medical records (EMRs) were used in primary care and the value of EMRs as perceived by primary care workers in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 2719 physicians (n = 2213) and nurses (n = 506) selected from 462 community health centres across all regions of mainland China except for Tibet. Regional differences in the responses regarding the functionality of existing EMR systems and the perceived value of EMRs were examined using Chi-square tests and ordinal regression analyses. RESULTS: Less than 59% of the community health centres had adopted EMRs. More than 89% of the respondents believed that it was necessary to adopt EMRs in primary care. Of the existing EMR systems, 50% had access to telehealth support for laboratory, imaging or patient consultation services. Only 38.4% captured data that met all task needs and 35.4% supported referral arrangements. "Management of chronic conditions" was voted (66%) as the top preferred feature of EMRs. Higher levels of recognition of the value of EMRs were found in the relatively more developed eastern region compared with their counterparts in other regions. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid EMR adoption in primary care is evident in mainland China. The low level of functionality in data acquisition and referral arrangements runs counter to the requirements for "management of chronic conditions", the most preferred feature of EMRs in primary care. Regional disparities in the realised value of EMRs in primary care deserve policy attention.

Inequality in Health Services for Internal Migrants in China: A National Cross-Sectional Study on the Role of Fund Location of Social Health Insurance.

On-the-spot settlements of medical bills for internal migrants enrolled with a social health insurance program outside of their residential location have been encouraged by the Chinese government, with the intention to improve equality in healthcare services. This study compared the use of health services between the internal migrants who had local health insurance coverage and those who did not. Data (n = 144,956) were obtained from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey. Use of health services was assessed by two indicators: visits to physicians when needed and registration (shown as health records) for essential public health services. Multi-level logistic regression models were established to estimate the effect size of fund location on the use of health services after controlling for variations in other variables. The respondents who enrolled with a social health insurance scheme locally were more likely to visit physicians when needed (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.06-1.30) and to have a health record (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.30-1.65) compared with those who enrolled outside of their residential location: a gap of 3.5 percentage points (95% CI: 1.3%-5.8%) and 6.1 percentage point (95% CI: 4.3%-7.8%), respectively. The gaps were larger in the rural-to-urban migrants than those in the urban-to-urban migrants (AOR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.93-1.48 for visiting physicians when needed; AOR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54-0.93 for having a health record). The on-the-spot medical bill settlement system has yet to fully achieve its proposed potential as inequalities in both medical and public health services remain between the internal migrants with and without local health insurance coverage. Further studies are needed to investigate how on-the-spot settlements of medical bills are implemented through coordination across multiple insurance funds.

Managers in the publicly funded health services in China - characteristics and responsibilities.

BACKGROUND: Health service managers are integral to supporting the effective and efficient delivery of services. Understanding their competencies is essential to support reform and improvement of healthcare provision in China. This paper examines the characteristics and educational background of senior managers working in the community health and hospital sectors in China. We also examine their levels of commitment to continued professional development and continuous education. METHODS: A self-administered paper-based questionnaire was administered to 477 level I, II and III managers in community health services and public hospitals in China. The response rate was over 80%. RESULTS: Findings demonstrate significant differences in terms of educational background and commitment to ongoing professional development between the managers in China across levels of management, and between the community and hospital sectors. Hospital managers tend to be older; hospital managers at higher management levels are predominantly male but predominantly female in the community health services. A greater proportion of hospital managers have postgraduate qualifications. In addition, the participants identified specific management tasks that they considered important. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large scale study examining the educational background and commitment to professional development of senior health service managers in China. This study determined that there are differences between the demographics of managers in China across levels of management, but more importantly between the CHC and the hospital sectors. The identification of important managerial tasks will facilitate the development of appropriate education and training for Chinese healthcare managers. All sectors and levels reported the need for informal education focussed on the core roles of developing organisation image and public relations, improving quality and safety of service provision and provision of leadership. Further research to explore the underlying reasons for the above differences is needed to design appropriate professional development for China's health services managers. In addition, the importance of managerial tasks across sectors and management levels requires further investigation.