China vows to improve quality of contracted family doctor services

BEIJING -- The National Health Commission (NHC) has called for efforts to improve the quality of contracted family doctor services and enhance community-level medical services this year, according to an NHC circular.

Local health authorities are urged to help expand the coverage of contracted family doctor services while at the same time guarantee service quality.

Family doctors should take into consideration the overall health conditions of patients with multiple chronic diseases to satisfy their needs for diagnosis and treatment in outpatient service, so as to improve service efficiency, according to the notice.

Family doctors as a team are urged to maintain close communication with residents they are serving in accordance with the contracts, and adjust health services to meet the needs of different people.

As China has entered the critical year of poverty alleviation, the circular also stresses on continuously offering medical services, such as evaluation, health management and helping patients to transfer to major hospitals, to impoverished patients with chronic diseases.

To reduce the inconvenience of patients with chronic diseases repeatedly commuting to and from medical institutions, family doctors are encouraged to give prescriptions that are valid for up to eight weeks, on the premise that it is safe, reasonable and effective.

The circular mandates that themed campaigns to boost contract signing and calling for more attention to contracted family doctor services are to be held around the upcoming World Family Doctor Day on May 19.

China will also accelerate the construction of the information system of contracted family doctor services, which can offer services like contract signing, consultation and making medical appointments, according to the circular.

Family doctors, including general practitioners registered with grassroots health institutions, qualified doctors at township clinics and village doctors, can provide comprehensive, continuous, timely and customized services, such as health consultation, evaluation and medication instructions for patients.