Category: In the news

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…

Continue reading “China Launches Anti-Corruption Campaign Upon Healthcare Sector”

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.

Abstract The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the global development of online healthcare platforms. An increasing number of public hospital doctors are providing online services on private third-party healthcare platforms, creating a new form of dual practice—online dual practice. To explore the impacts of online dual practice on health system performance as well as potential policy responses, we undertook a qualitative approach that uses in-depth interviews and thematic…

Continue reading “New Publication: Understanding Impacts of Online Dual Practice on Health System Performance: A Qualitative Study in China”

Abstract The role of hospitals has significantly changed over the past decades and the ‘medical city’ has emerged as a new urban phenomenon in China. However, research on the significance of the medical city to China’s urbanism is limited. This paper situates China’s medical city in the theory of state entrepreneurialism and rethinks consumerism in healthcare. Particularly focussing on the state–market and production–consumption dyads, the paper argues that the state…

Continue reading “New Publication: The ‘medical city’ and China’s entrepreneurial state: Spatial production under rising consumerism in healthcare”

Abstract Concerning China’s growth in biotechnology, the research on biotech start-ups in China yields significant implications. However, studies have not given enough attention to hospitals, which are critical players in the biotech industry. Because of the hospital-centric healthcare system, public tertiary hospitals in China are important partners for biotech start-ups. This study investigates the geographical relationship between public tertiary hospitals and biotech start-ups in Chinese cities. The findings suggest evidence…

Continue reading “New Publication: Medical institutions in the geography of innovation: evidence from public tertiary hospitals and biotech start-ups in Chinese cities”

Summary Background China has the largest number of diabetic patients in the world. The total number of adults with diabetes in mainland China is estimated to be 140.9 million, with an estimated 174.4 million in 2045 and an adult prevalence of 13.0 %. In 2021, diabetes-related health costs in China are as high as $165.3 billion, and the prevalence of diabetes in China continues to grow. If patients have access…

Continue reading “New Publication: Expanding outpatient benefits package can reduce diabetes-related avoidable hospitalizations”

Abstract Medical corruption is a significant obstacle to achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals. However, the understanding of medical corruption is limited, especially in developing countries. As the largest developing country, China is also plagued by medical corruption. By employing a mixed-methods design and combining data from three resources, this study attempts to examine patterns of medical corruption in China, explore its key drivers and investigate the perceived effectiveness of recent…

Continue reading “New Publication: Understanding medical corruption in China: a mixed-methods study”