Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires
Objectives The medical reform in 2009 stimulated the growth of private healthcare organisations in China, but there is still room for their further development in the healthcare market. The objectives of the study were to provide more information about the healthcare market in China and to explore t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/6/e069381.full |
| _version_ | 1797746366747770880 |
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| author | Qi Wang Yu Sun Gordon Liu Xiaotong Chen Meijiao Wang |
| author_facet | Qi Wang Yu Sun Gordon Liu Xiaotong Chen Meijiao Wang |
| author_sort | Qi Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives The medical reform in 2009 stimulated the growth of private healthcare organisations in China, but there is still room for their further development in the healthcare market. The objectives of the study were to provide more information about the healthcare market in China and to explore the challenges private healthcare organisations faced.Design Qualitative descriptive study using a web-based open-ended questionnaire and thematic content analysis. Data were collected between 12 February and 20 February 2020.Setting This study was conducted in China.Participants 124 respondents from private healthcare organisations across 20 provinces in China.Results Our content analysis identified three themes: (1) functioning and positioning of the healthcare institutions: current private healthcare organisations generally serve as a supplement to public hospitals and focus more on specialised medical and high-end services; (2) institutions’ advantages: private healthcare organisations can flexibly respond to market demands, formulate effective strategies, introduce advanced management concepts and methods, provide personalised and diversified services, and introduce new technologies which can stimulate market vitality and promote healthy competition; and (3) institutions’ challenges: private healthcare organisations face difficulties in professional development and talent cultivation, branding and establishing a reputation, and the policies for institution establishment, tax and medical insurance pose drawbacks to their development.Conclusion This study illustrates that private healthcare organisations need more government support for further development, such as providing a fairer insurance strategy and taxation policy, affording ground for a more equitable scientific research environment and promotion opportunities, and evaluating reputation score for healthcare institutions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:35:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d90be53a5d1f44698e9c9516442a3d0c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:35:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-d90be53a5d1f44698e9c9516442a3d0c2023-08-09T16:15:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-06-0113610.1136/bmjopen-2022-069381Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnairesQi Wang0Yu Sun1Gordon Liu2Xiaotong Chen3Meijiao Wang4Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaChina Center for Health Economic Research, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaChina Center for Health Economic Research, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaChina Center for Health Economic Research, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Public Administration and Humanities, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, ChinaObjectives The medical reform in 2009 stimulated the growth of private healthcare organisations in China, but there is still room for their further development in the healthcare market. The objectives of the study were to provide more information about the healthcare market in China and to explore the challenges private healthcare organisations faced.Design Qualitative descriptive study using a web-based open-ended questionnaire and thematic content analysis. Data were collected between 12 February and 20 February 2020.Setting This study was conducted in China.Participants 124 respondents from private healthcare organisations across 20 provinces in China.Results Our content analysis identified three themes: (1) functioning and positioning of the healthcare institutions: current private healthcare organisations generally serve as a supplement to public hospitals and focus more on specialised medical and high-end services; (2) institutions’ advantages: private healthcare organisations can flexibly respond to market demands, formulate effective strategies, introduce advanced management concepts and methods, provide personalised and diversified services, and introduce new technologies which can stimulate market vitality and promote healthy competition; and (3) institutions’ challenges: private healthcare organisations face difficulties in professional development and talent cultivation, branding and establishing a reputation, and the policies for institution establishment, tax and medical insurance pose drawbacks to their development.Conclusion This study illustrates that private healthcare organisations need more government support for further development, such as providing a fairer insurance strategy and taxation policy, affording ground for a more equitable scientific research environment and promotion opportunities, and evaluating reputation score for healthcare institutions.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/6/e069381.full |
| spellingShingle | Qi Wang Yu Sun Gordon Liu Xiaotong Chen Meijiao Wang Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires BMJ Open |
| title | Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires |
| title_full | Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires |
| title_fullStr | Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires |
| title_short | Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires |
| title_sort | functions advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in china s healthcare system a qualitative analysis through open ended questionnaires |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/6/e069381.full |
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