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

Zhu, Jiming; Ariana, Proochista

Some of the (mis)understandings of general practice are arguably a reflection of China's health delivery system and its fragmented care. The health delivery system is dominated by powerful hospitals and a specialist practice model. In this system, even China's primary care facilities (e.g. the township hospitals) follow a specialist practice model. Though they are not as specialised as tertiary hospitals, they usually have departments of internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology. Township hospital doctors are trained to be 'specialists' in these departments, despite most not even having a bachelor's degree (Table 2) . Consequently, it is natural for medical students and doctors to establish their professional identities as a result of their experience in the specialised departments in which they are working, rather than as a substantive reflection of specialist training received.