Related Experiment Videos
Physicians' Workloads in China: 1998⁻2016
Yanhong Fu1, David C Schwebel2, Guoqing Hu3
1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China. 176911022@csu.edu.cn.
Insights
Physician workload in China significantly increased from 1998-2016, with patient visits per physician rising 135% and inpatient admissions per physician up 184%. Recent years show a stabilizing trend, indicating a need for workload interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
- Physician Workforce Studies
Background:
- Physician workload is critical for patient health outcomes.
- Increased physician workloads pose risks to physician well-being and patient care quality.
- This study investigates physician workload trends in Chinese health institutions between 1998 and 2016.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze changes in physician workload in China over an 18-year period.
- To quantify the trends in patient visits and inpatient admissions per physician.
- To identify potential implications for physician health and patient care.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the China Statistical Yearbook (1999-2017).
- Extracted indicators: number of physicians, patient visits, and inpatient admissions.
- Calculated patient visits per physician and inpatient admissions per physician from 1998-2016 to estimate workload.
Main Results:
- Patient visits per physician increased by 135% between 1998 and 2016.
- Inpatient admissions per physician rose by 184% during the same period.
- A stabilizing trend, including a 7% decrease in patient visits per physician since 2012, was observed in recent years.
Conclusions:
- Physician workload in China experienced a dramatic increase from 1998-2016.
- This escalating workload trend may jeopardize physician health and patient care quality.
- Interventions are crucial to alleviate physician workloads and ensure sustainable healthcare delivery in China.
Background:
Physicians play a primary role in patients' health. Heavy workloads can threaten the health of physicians and their patients. This study examined workload changes among physicians in Chinese health institutions from 1998⁻2016.
Methods:
This study examined data from the online China Statistical Yearbook of 1999⁻2017, which is released annually by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China. Three relevant and available indicators were retrieved: (1) number of physicians, (2) number of patient visits and (3) number of inpatient admissions. Patient visits per physician and inpatient admissions per physician from 1998⁻2016 were calculated to approximate physician workloads in Chinese health institutions.
Results:
Between 1998 and 2016, patient visits per physician in China increased by 135% and inpatient admissions per physician rose by 184%. Both indicators demonstrate a stabilizing trend in the most recent five years, including a slight decrease (7%) in patient visits per physician since 2012.
Conclusions:
Physician workload increased dramatically for Chinese physicians from 1998⁻2016, a trend that could potentially threaten physicians' health and the quality of patient care. The findings highlight the importance of interventions and efforts to relieve physician workloads in China.