Primary care quality and provider disparities in China: a standardized-patient-based study.

Background: Primary health care is the foundation of high-performing health systems. Achieving an improved primary care system requires a thorough understanding of the current quality of care among various providers within the system. As the world's largest developing country, China has made significant investments in primary care over the past decade.

Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) and Its Influence on Patient Compliance With Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The Chronic Care Model (CCM) is a framework that supports the proactive, planned, coordinated and patient-centered care of chronic diseases. The Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) scale is a valuable tool for evaluating patients' perspectives on chronic care delivery based on the CCM. Few studies have examined its application in China.

Effects of transparent online open procurement on prices, volumes, and costs of medicines: an interrupted time series study in Ningxia, China.

Objectives: To assess the effects of the transparent online open procurement arrangement on the prices, volumes, and costs of medicines in Ningxia, China.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Ningxia pharmaceutical procurement platform, covering 16 months of purchase orders (December 2019 to March 2021) prior to the implementation of the transparent online open procurement policy and 20 months of purchase orders after the implementation of the policy (April 2021 to November 2022). Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of the transparent online open procurement policy on the prices, volumes, and total costs of the purchase orders.

Stochastic process drives the dissimilarity in biodiversity patterns between coniferous forest and evergreen deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest in karst area.

is an endangered evergreen conifer tree species, and its conservation has been considered one of the most critical issues. However, relative protection is limited by the lack of understanding of its community structure and underlying assembly processes. To study how the species diversity and assembly processes of coniferous forest (CF) differed with regional climax community, this study established a series forest dynamic plots both in CF and evergreen deciduous broadleaved mixed forest (EDBM).

A study on the effect of school and family environments and self-efficacy on health literacy of college students.

Background: Health literacy is an important means to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. It plays an important role in promoting multiple health-related behaviors of individuals. Numerous studies have demonstrated a number of sociodemographic and school characteristics, and family related factors were related to health literacy among college students.

Does vertical integration increase the costs for primary care inpatients? Evidence from a national pilot programme in China.

Objective: To assess the impact of vertical integration (VI) within County-Level Integrated Health Organisations (CIHOs) on the costs of primary care inpatients.

Methods: This study assessed Xishui, a national pilot county for CIHOs, using inpatient claims data. The treatment group comprised 10,118 inpatients from 5 vertically integrated township health centres (THCs), while the control group consisted of 21,165 inpatients from 19 non-vertically integrated THCs.

Testing four cognition bolt-on items to the EQ-5D in a general Chinese population.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of four candidate cognition bolt-on items and their combinations to the EQ-5D-5L.

Methods: Four cognition items (concentration, memory, calculation, and learning) were developed as separate questionnaire items, and were administered with the standard EQ-5D-5L to 640 individuals in a general population survey in China. From the 4 items, 11 compound items were constructed, and the 'worse level counts' rule was used to calculate a compound item score.

The effect of an innovative payment method on inpatient volume and bed resources and their regional distribution: the case of a central province in China.

Background: Since 2020, China has piloted an innovative payment method known as the Diagnosis-Intervention Packet (DIP). This study aimed to assess the impact of the DIP on inpatient volume and bed allocation and their regional distribution. This study investigated whether the DIP affects the efficiency of regional health resource utilization and contributes to disparities in health equity among regions.

The Effects of the Multi-Hospital Global Budget Payment on Medical Expenditure and Service Volume: The Evidence from Dangyang County, China.

Background: Global budget payment is currently the prevailing payment strategy internationally. In China, the concept of multi-hospital global budget payment has been proposed with the aims of achieving cost control effects while also encouraging hospital collaboration and optimising allocation of healthcare resources. This study seeks to analyse the impact of multi-hospital global budget payment in China on healthcare expenditure and service volume.

Subgroups of High-Cost Patients and Their Preventable Inpatient Cost in Rural China.

Background: High-cost patients account for most healthcare costs and are highly heterogeneous. This study aims to classify high-cost patients into clinically homogeneous subgroups, describe healthcare utilization patterns of subgroups, and identify subgroups with relatively high preventable inpatient cost (PIC) in rural China.

Methods: A population-based retrospective study was performed using claims data in Xi county, Henan province.

Policy text analysis of antimicrobial resistance governance in China: A focus on national-level policies.

Objective: To explore the structure and characteristics of China's national policies regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) governance.

Method: This research constitutes a quantitative content analysis of AMR policies issued by the central government from 2004 to 2023. A systematic search identified 112 policy documents, which were analysed using a three-dimensional framework.

The role of mGovernment applications in building trust during public crises: Evidence from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, China effectively contained the virus, resulting in increased public trust in the government. Mobile government (mGovernment) applications (apps) played a critical role in this improvement. This study aims to examine how mGovernment apps build citizens' trust in governments during public crises.

Breaking down barriers: rationalisations and motivation to stop among Chinese male smokers under cigarette dependence.

Background: Smoking rationalisation beliefs are a huge barrier to quitting smoking. What types of rationalisations should be emphasised in smoking cessation interventions? Although past literature has confirmed the negative relationship between those beliefs and motivation to stop smoking, little is known regarding the importance and performance of those beliefs on motivation with varying cigarette dependence. The study aimed to ascertain rationalisations that are highly important for motivation yet perform poorly in different cigarette dependence groups.

Betaine and I-LG may have a predictive value for ATB: A causal study in a large European population.

Purpose: To analyze the causal relationship between 486 human serum metabolites and the active tuberculosis (ATB) in European population.

Methods: In this study, the causal relationship between human serum metabolites and the ATB was analyzed by integrating the genome-wide association study (GWAS). The 486 human serum metabolites were used as the exposure variable, three different ATB GWAS databases in the European population were set as outcome variables, and single nucleotide polymorphisms were used as instrumental variables for Mendelian Randomization.

Primary health care team faultlines and team performance: the mediating role of knowledge sharing.

Family doctor teams, serving as health gatekeepers, are extensively advocated in China. Their composition, comprising a heterogeneous mix of professionals, contributes to a more comprehensive service, but also poses challenges. Consequently, scholarly interest has arisen in comprehending how these compositions, known as faultlines, influence team dynamics and outcomes.

Factors underlying burnout among rural village physicians in Southwestern China.

Background: Primary healthcare doctors in China often experience problems with occupational burnout, a condition known to relate to high job stress and low wages. In China, many medical alliances have recently been established in rural areas, where village physicians work as healthcare gatekeepers. However, burnout in village physicians in the context of medical alliances remains underresearched.

Effects of a Diagnosis-Related Group Payment Reform on Length and Costs of Hospitalization in Sichuan, China: A Synthetic Control Study.

Background: Diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment policies are increasingly recognized as crucial instruments for addressing health care overprovision and escalating health care costs. The synthetic control method (SCM) has emerged as a robust tool for evaluating the efficacy of health policies worldwide.

Methods: This study focused on Panzhihua city in Sichuan Province, a pilot city for DRG payment reform implementation, serving as the treatment group.

The influence of the national drug price negotiation policy reform on the medical expenses of patients in Xuzhou City: an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: To reduce the burden of patients' medical care, the Xuzhou Municipal Government has initiated an exploratory study on the supply model and categorized management of nationally negotiated drugs. This study aims to understand the extent to which Xuzhou's 2021 reform of the National Drug Price Negotiation (NDPN) policy has had a positive impact on the healthcare costs of individuals with different types of health insurance.

Methods: The Interrupted Time Series Analysis method was adopted, and the changes in average medical expenses per patient, average medical insurance payment cost per patient and actual reimbursement ratio were investigated by using the data of single-drug payments in Xuzhou from October 2020 to October 2022.

Alcohol Consumption Patterns for Excessive Drinkers in a Multi-Ethnic Society Short Running Title: Drinking Patterns and Health Education.

Objective: Culture and eating habits, which vary greatly across different ethnic groups, have a substantial impact on drinking behavior. This study aimed to examine whether the drinking patterns and reasons differ by ethnic groups, and provide useful insights for multi-ethnic areas that seek to cut down alcohol intake.

Methods: We recruited excessive drinkers and collected the drinking patterns and motivations by questionnaire in a multi-ethnic society.

Promoting child and adolescent health through wearable technology: A systematic review.

Background: Wearable technology is used in healthcare to monitor the health of individuals. This study presents an updated systematic literature review of the use of wearable technology in promoting child and adolescent health, accompanied by recommendations for future research.

Methods: This review focuses on studies involving children and adolescents aged between 2 and 18 years, regardless of their health condition or disabilities.

The impact of an innovative payment method on medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for inpatients with different types of medical insurance: evidence from a pilot city, China.

Background: Since 2020, China has implemented an innovative payment method called Diagnosis-Intervention Packet (DIP) in 71 cities nationwide. This study aims to assess the impact of DIP on medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for inpatients covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and Urban and Rural Residents Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI). It seeks to explore whether there are differences in these effects among inpatients of the two insurance types, thereby further understanding its implications for health equity.