Are Rural Primary Care Providers Able to Competently Manage Common Illnesses? A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Sichuan, Western China

Abstract

Background: Strengthening primary care is a key focus of the latest healthcare reforms in China. However, many challenges, including the workforce competence, still exist. This study aimed to evaluate the common disease management competency of rural primary care providers in Sichuan Province, western China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 9 township health centers and 86 village clinics in 3 counties. Diarrhea and respiratory infection were selected as the evaluation cases. General partitioners were assessed through their abilities to (1) take history; (2) make diagnoses; (3) propose treatment; and (4) deal with clinical cases. Results: In total, 362 healthcare workers were surveyed, and 130 general practitioners were enrolled into our study. On average, rural primary care providers could only answer 46.4% of questions absolutely correctly, with 29.7% partly correctly and 23.8% incorrectly. Conclusion: We suggest strengthening training to improve rural primary care providers’ competencies, especially their capacities of history taking. Policy action is also needed to address regional disparities.