Functions, advantages and challenges facing private healthcare organisations in China’s healthcare system: a qualitative analysis through open-ended questionnaires

Abstract

ObjectivesThe medical reform in 2009 stimulated the growth of private healthcare organisations in China, but there is still room for their further development in the healthcare market. The objectives of the study were to provide more information about the healthcare market in China and to explore the challenges private healthcare organisations faced.DesignQualitative descriptive study using a web-based open-ended questionnaire and thematic content analysis. Data were collected between 12 February and 20 February 2020.SettingThis study was conducted in China.Participants124 respondents from private healthcare organisations across 20 provinces in China.ResultsOur content analysis identified three themes: (1) functioning and positioning of the healthcare institutions: current private healthcare organisations generally serve as a supplement to public hospitals and focus more on specialised medical and high-end services; (2) institutions’ advantages: private healthcare organisations can flexibly respond to market demands, formulate effective strategies, introduce advanced management concepts and methods, provide personalised and diversified services, and introduce new technologies which can stimulate market vitality and promote healthy competition; and (3) institutions’ challenges: private healthcare organisations face difficulties in professional development and talent cultivation, branding and establishing a reputation, and the policies for institution establishment, tax and medical insurance pose drawbacks to their development.ConclusionThis study illustrates that private healthcare organisations need more government support for further development, such as providing a fairer insurance strategy and taxation policy, affording ground for a more equitable scientific research environment and promotion opportunities, and evaluating reputation score for healthcare institutions.