The International journal of health planning and management
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Apr 2014
Advancing universal coverage of healthcare in China: translating political will into policy and practice.
China launched its new health system reform plan in 2009 to advance its universal coverage of healthcare, after more than 4 years' consultations and discussions with various stakeholders including the public. This paper aims to introduce and discuss the context and process of China's current health system reform and analyse how political will in China has been translated into policy practice over the past decade. The paper also shares the insights of World Health Organization's contribution to China's health system reform, as the authors advised the Chinese government on the reform options and process. Furthermore, the paper describes and discusses key challenges in the implementation of the reform plan over the past 3 years and draws lessons for other countries.
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Apr 2014
Submerged discontent and patterns of accommodation: a case study of doctors' pay in two public hospitals in China.
The article evaluates submerged discontent among Chinese public hospital doctors (Note1) regarding their pay and patterns of accommodation, including doctors' responses through formal and informal actions in the context of health service marketization. On the basis of a case study of two public hospitals, the article illustrates the dynamical impact of marketization on Chinese doctors' pay-related dissatisfaction and health service employment relationship. ⋯ Instead, doctors' discontent is often channelled through informal, individual and subtle activities. Meanwhile, doctors' professional society is gradually influential, showing its potential of developing doctors' group identity and protecting members' interests in future.