Category: Front page

Summary Background: Provider payment reforms (PPRs) have demonstrated mixed results for improving health system efficiency. Since PPRs require health care organisations to interpret and implement policies, the organizational characteristics of hospitals may affect the effectiveness of PPRs. Hospitals with more autonomy have the flexibility to respond to PPRs more efficiently, but they may not if the autonomy previously facilitated behaviours that counter the PPR’s objective. This study examines whether hospitals with…

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Around the world, the adoption of telemedicine has not only skyrocketed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also has become an increasingly important part of health systems globally. This is particularly true in China where even before the pandemic, the government had already been promoting “internet hospitals” and there is a rapidly growing market of “direct-to-consumer” (DTC) teleconsultation provided through private third-party platforms. As countries transition into a…

Continue reading “New Publication: Innovative approaches of measuring care quality in China’s market for telemedicine”

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telemedicine worldwide. Understanding how demand for telemedicine services expands during and after the pandemic is important in assessing its sustainability into the future. This study uses detailed transaction data from one of China’s largest online healthcare platforms to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for telemedicine services in China, and the dynamics of this demand. We empirically…

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Abstract The uneven distribution of medical resources in China has been a persistent concern. This is particularly evident among patients with severe diseases, who often seek better medical resources, resulting in inter-city patient mobility. This research aims to analyze the uneven distribution of medical resources for these patients in China, focusing on their inter-city mobility patterns. Using patients’ information (n = 202,817) collected from a nationwide severe disease mutual aid platform in…

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Summary Background Hospitals in China are classified into tiers (1, 2 or 3), with the largest (tier 3) having more equipment and specialist staff. Differential health insurance cost-sharing by hospital tier (lower deductibles and higher reimbursement rates in lower tiers) was introduced to reduce overcrowding in higher tier hospitals, promote use of lower tier hospitals, and limit escalating healthcare costs. However, little is known about the effects of differential cost-sharing…

Continue reading “New Publication: Association between health insurance cost-sharing and choice of hospital tier for cardiovascular diseases in China: a prospective cohort study”