Provider perspectives on general practice in Henan, China: a mixed-methods study

Zhu, Jiming; Ariana, Proochista

One limitation of this paper is that it only focuses on Henan Province, which may preclude generalisation to the whole country. However, it should be noted that Henan has a population of around 100 million, larger than most countries. If Henan were an independent country, it would host the 16 th largest population among sovereign nations. This 'case study' provides at least an initial view of the kinds of issues that probably arise in crafting policies for General Practice in other provinces of China. In addition, this paper only provides a 'supply-side' perspective -it represents the views of medical providers. However, it is equally important to know patients' attitude towards general practice ('demand-side' perspective) and their health care-seeking behaviours. However, our design is first to target relevant providers who are supposed to understand GPs best. If the PITs have such understandings/interpretations of what being a GP entails, as identified in the five themes, the perspectives of the general public should be even more diverse. The foundation of China's GP-centred PHC workforce policy-making is problematic.