Objective To understand the current situation of medical service and management in Luxi township health center (LxC) in Yongxin county of Jiangxi province, so as to provide baseline data about drug allocation, logistic key techniques research and products development for township health centers. Methods By means of questionnaire and focus interview, the LxC was investigated from the following aspects: general information, human resources, medicine list, basic device configuration, medical service and management, as well as service efficiency. Results a) Yongxin county including 13 village committees covers an area of 86 km2, with the population of 22 300 in 2009, and it pertains to a backward area with the annual per capita income of RMB 4 100 yuan; b) Among the total 28 staffs in LxC, 78.6% were health workers; the general practitioner (GP)/nurse ratio was about 1?0.58; the proportion of GP, nurses, medical technicians, other staffs was 54.55%, 31.82%, 9.09% and 4.54%, respectively; the proportion of bachelor degree, junior college graduation and secondary technical school graduation was 9.1%, 13.6%, and 77.3%, respectively; and the ratio of elementary, middle, and high professional title of health workers was 15?5?1; c) There were 625 species of drugs in LxC in 2009, and the hospital beds approved by government were 0.69 per thousand agricultural persons, which, however, were 1.15 in fact. The rate of 51 basic equipments shown in national regulation was actually 76.5%, and the readiness and utilization rate of existing 40 equipments was 92.5%; and d) In 2009, the outpatients were 12 150 person-time, with the average cost of RMB 29.39 yuan; the hospital discharge was 1 589 person-time, with the average stay of 12 days and the average cost of RMB 490.05 yuan; the vaccine inoculations were 5 053 person-time; among the total income, the medical service income accounted for 73.2%, while the drug income accounted for 53.7%; the personnel expenditure was 31.0% of the total, and the balance of income and expenditure was RMB –263 500 yuan. Conclusion The hardware condition of LxC is not so good owing to the financial difficulties of Yongxin county and Jiangxi provincial government. In comparison with the whole country, although the professional title structure is ok, health workers are still not enough, with unreasonable specialty structure and low educational background. The rate of basic equipments and the approved hospital beds per thousand agricultural persons are low. There are 625 species of drugs, containing 218 species shown in 2009 national essential medicine list. And the other conditions are as follows: no information system, lack of public health service, short of financial input, high ratio of “running hospital by selling drugs”, and low efficiency of medical service. So the top priority of LxC construction should be figuring out all of the above issues, and better serving the people.
Objective To investigate current situation of medical service and management in Gaozha Central Township Health Center (GzC), so as to provide baseline data for township health centers in both key techniques research and product development of drugs allocation and delivery. Methods A questionnaire combined with a special interview was carried out, which included the general information, human resources, medical service and management, and the practice of essential medicine list. Results a) The hardware condition of GzC was not good enough, and the economic status of the service recipients was lower than the average level of both Wuzhong City and China mainland; b) The constituent ratio of general practitioner (GP) and nurse, and GP and laboratorian were all lower than those of national level, while, the constituent ratio of GP and technician was a little bit higher. GzC was in short of medical technical personnel and, especially, the professional pharmacists. The logistics technical workers were as the same proportion as the nurses. The medical technical personnel without professional education background accounted for 3.4%, and about 38% of the staff members had no college degree, about 86.2% had at most primary profession titles. There was no personnel turnover of GzC in recently years; c) The bed utilization ratio was lower than national level (46.4% vs. 60.7%), while the average duration of stay and the in-patient and out-patient service workload of GP were longer or heavier than national level (8 vs. 4.8, 9 vs. 8.3, 4 vs. 1.3); d) The out-patient service in 2010 decreased 26.9% compared to 2009; and the in-patient service in 2010 decreased 42.4%; e) The average medical expense per outpatient and per inpatient increased 127.3% and 56.2%, respectively in 2010 compared to 2009; and f) Essential medicine list was put into practice in April 1st of 2010 and there was only 195 species available in GzC, which has not met the requirements of the national essential medicine list. Conclusion In order to meet the standards of general rural township health center in western China, GzC needs to cope with challenges of insufficient hardware conditions, short of staff, unreasonable personnel structure, low educational background and professional title of the staff, none human resources flow and low technical level of medical service. GzC dose well in drug expenses control, and the hospitalization costs are lower than those of the national level. However, it increases rapidly in 2010. The management of GzC may be influenced by zero-profit sale of the essential drugs, and appropriate subsidy and policy support are necessary to maintain its service quality. And it is required to complement the medicine based on the evidences, to carry out staff training and usage guidance of essential medicine, and to finally guarantee the safe and reasonable use of medicines.
Objective To understand current situation of medical service and management in Yong’an Central Township Health Center (YaC) through on-the-spot investigation, in order to provide references for personal employment and essential medicines list implement in township health centers. Methods Questionnaire and focus interview were carried out, which included the general information, human resources, medical service and management, and the practice of essential medicines list. Results The hardware equipments of YaC were fine, and the target population had fairly good health and economy status. The ratio of General Practitioner (GP)/ nurse and GP/ pharmacist were all above the national average level. The members with college degree and above accounted for 61.6%, and about 88% staffs were with or below primary profession titles. There was a balance between personnel flow out and in. The drug income accounted for 53.6% of the whole in 2009 and the medical expenses increased compared to 2008. Essential medicines list was put into practice in April 1st of 2010 with no relevant technical documents as correspondence. Conclusion YaC, as a good representative of fairly well-off rural Township Health Center in western China, needs to cope with challenges of irrational personnel structure, low educational background and professional title of the staff and human resources flow, and requires developing policy and adopting measures step by step. The management of YaC may be influenced by zero-profit price of the essential medicine, and appropriate subsidy and policy support are necessary to maintain current service quality.
To attend the Patient Safety Summit of UK Presidency of the EU 2005, learn and share ideas with each other, participate in discussing and developing the vision and mission as well as goals for patients for patient safety program, seek the common interest for further cooperation so as to help promote the activities on patient safety in healthcare in China.
Participating in patients for patient safety program will help place patients at the center of efforts to improve patient safety. This paper presented a brief introduction to patients for patient safety program and its significance and functions.
Objective To understand the current situation of medical service and management in Xintian Central Township Health Center (XtC) through on-the-spot investigation, and to provide references for development of key techniques and products for township health centers in medicine allocation and delivery. Methods The questionnaire and the focus interview were carried out, which included the general information, human resources, medical service and management, as well as the practice of essential medicine list. Results a) The hardware conditions of XtC were not good enough, and the income of Lintao county and Gansu provincial government fell short of their needs; b) The General Practitioner (GP)/nurse ratio was higher than that of the national level, the GP/pharmacist ratio was a little bit lower, and the GP/laboratorian ratio reached the national level. There was only one medical technician. There was about 27.5% staff members having no college degree, and about 81% having at most primary profession titles. There were 26 medical workers allocated to XtC in recent two years and only one GP left; c) In 2009, the bed utilization ratio was a little bit higher than the national level (109% vs. 60.7%), while the average length of stay was longer than the national level (6 vs. 4.8); d) The outpatient service in 2010 increased by 17.6% compared to 2009 and the inpatient service in 2010 decreased by 17%; e) The average medical expense per outpatient and per inpatient increased by 23.5% and 14.9%, respectively, in 2010 compared to 2009; f) The essential medicine list (EML) was put into practice in June, 2010. The current count of medicine in hospital was 767, far beyond the EML demand. Conclusion XtC, as a basic rural Township Health Center in Western China, overtakes the burden of healthcare service for local population. The policy of “selecting graduates to work in Township Health Center” made by Gansu government ensures sufficient personnel reserve for rural Township Health Center. XtC needs to cope with challenges of insufficient hardware conditions, unreasonable personnel structure, low educational background and profession title of the staff, and low technical level of medical service. XtC has a big ratio of medicine income and the expense of outpatient is lower than that of the national level. The management of XtC may be influenced by zero-profit price of the essential medicine, and appropriate subsidy and policy support are needed to maintain its service quality. And it is necessary to carry out evidence-based selection of the essential medicine account and develop staff training and essential medicine usage guidance, so as to support the medicine used safely and rationally.