Is training policy for general practitioners in China charting the right path forward? a mixed methods analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• General practice
• Medical training

Background:

• China is increasing investment in general practitioner (GP) training to strengthen primary care.
• Current GP training in China is largely based on specialist care models, not general practice principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the appropriateness of current GP admission training program curricula in China.
• Evaluate the alignment of training content with actual community healthcare demands.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative analysis comparing training curricula (Residents Training for GPs, Residents Training for Assistant GPs, Training for Specialists with General Practice interest) with outpatient utilization data in Shanghai (2014-2018).
• Qualitative analysis using Donabedian's model to evaluate training program quality.

Main Results:

• Significant mismatch between diseases covered in GP training curricula and the actual composition of outpatient visits in community healthcare settings.
• Qualitative findings revealed issues such as specialist-dominated teaching, inadequate diagnostic equipment, insufficient referral training, and neglect of communication skills in hospital-based training.

Conclusions:

• Current GP admission training programs in China lack a specific focus on general practice.
• Training needs to be evidence-based, community-oriented, and aligned with the medical needs of the population to enhance GP effectiveness.