Category: In the news

People’s Daily [人民日报], an official Chinese government media outlet, circulated an insightful interview from Ren Zhi Chu [人之初] magazine featuring Professor Winnie Yip, Faculty Director of the Harvard China Health Partnership. The interview, titled “China’s Healthcare Reform: Achievements and Challenges Coexist,” delved into the 2009 healthcare reform’s multi-faceted progress in healthcare financing, payment, and the strengthening of the supply side, and highlighted the challenges brought by socioeconomic constraints. We invite…

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Abstract This report analyses the underlying causes of China’s achievements and gaps in universal health coverage over the past 2 decades and proposes policy recommendations for advancing universal health coverage by 2030. Although strong political commitment and targeted financial investment have produced positive outcomes in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health and infectious diseases, a fragmented and hospital-centric delivery system, rising health-care costs, shallow benefit coverage of health insurance schemes, and…

Continue reading “New Publication: Universal health coverage in China part 2: addressing challenges and recommendations”

Abstract Over the past 2 decades, China has made remarkable progress in health-care service coverage, especially in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, infectious diseases, and service capacity and access. In these areas, coverage is comparable to those in high-income countries. Inequalities of service coverage in these areas have been reduced. However, there remain large gaps in the service coverage of chronic diseases. There has been little progress…

Continue reading “New Publication: Universal health coverage in China part 1: progress and gaps”

Abstract Online health care marketplaces have emerged with the adoption of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its readily available information on price and quality, we document substantial price dispersion for telemedicine services in China’s internet health market. We further examine the sources of such price variation: observable characteristics of physicians, hospitals, and local markets explain slightly over half of this variation. The un-explained portion is greater for physician specialties where…

Continue reading “New Publication: Price dispersion in an online health marketplace: Evidence from telemedicine services in China”

Abstract This research investigates how the public university engages in China’s speculative urbanism by establishing and operationalizing the university-healthcare nexus through both real estate and healthcare businesses. Drawing on open company data and expert interviews, the organizational structure of public and private actors in the university-healthcare nexus of the Peking University Healthcare City was unfold as a case study. Findings reveal that the university-healthcare nexus was established by Peking University…

Continue reading “New Publication: The ivory tower in China’s speculative urbanism: instrumentalizing the university-healthcare nexus”

Summary Background In the digital age, a rising number of public sector doctors are providing private telemedicine and telehealth services on online health care platforms. This novel practice pattern – termed online dual practice – may profoundly impact health system performance in both developed and developing countries. This study aims to understand the factors influencing doctors’ engagement in online dual practice. Methods Using a mixed-methods design, this study concurrently collects…

Continue reading “New Publication: Factors influencing engagement in online dual practice by public hospital doctors in three large cities: A mixed-methods study in China”

An article by The Wall Street Journal, “中国降低医疗成本的独特行动：大规模医药反腐 [China’s Unique Action to Reduce Medical Costs: Large-Scale Pharmaceutical Anti-Corruption]” reported on China’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched across hospitals and medical institutions since July 2023. Cracking down on acts of medical corruption—for example, doctors and hospital managers taking monetary bribes from patients and drug manufacturers—is a potential way to aid reduction of medical costs. Dr. Winnie Yip, Professor of Global Health Policy…

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Abstract China has undergone unprecedented waves of internal migration over the past decades. However, the discriminatory hukou system puts migrants into an ‘identity enclave’ which challenges migrants’ perception of place and identity, thus reducing their settlement intention. In the meantime, existing literature has also highlighted the positive roles of social bonds and social networks in migrants’ decision to stay. Based on the theories of social capital, this research explores the…

Continue reading “New Publication: Escaping from the identity enclave: Social inclusion events and floating migrants’ settlement intention in China”

Dinda Elliott, Executive Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, shares insights from Dr. Winnie Yip, Faculty Director of the Harvard China Health Partnership, regarding China’s rural healthcare improvements and health-related poverty elimination. These observations were drawn from Dr. Yip’s field visit to rural villages in Yunnan, China this spring. Read more in the new field report here.