Exploration and Consideration of the Medical Alliance Modes

BACKGROUND: The distribution of medical resources in China has long been in an unbalanced state. Since 2009, the government has initiated the planning and construction of a sound grass-roots medical and health service system, increased investment in grass-roots medical and health institutions, but it has not received the expected results. In order to solve the problem, the medical consortium—with a full-featured, hierarchical and resource-sharing structure has been proposed. METHODS: Overall, 1000 Electronic questionnaires about cognitive status of residents on medical alliance were randomly distributed in 50 community health service centers in 10 cities including Xuzhou, Nanjing, Hefei, Jinan, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Xi’an, Nanchang and Chengdu, China. RESULTS: 94.84% of the respondents responded they had heard about the construction of medical alliance, but they did not know the specific content. When asked about the preferred medical institution after illness, 93.50% participants preferred third-tier general hospital or specialist hospital. 62.58% of the respondents believe that the establishment of the medical alliance has not yet played a role and they are concerned that it cannot be effectively implemented. 62.27% of respondents were attracted by the convenience of medical alliance, 20.72% of respondents thought that they could easily get to famous doctors when they were in need, and 5.46% of respondents thought that there was no advantage in medical alliance. CONCLUSION: The establishment of the medical alliance is an effective means to promote the optimal allocation of medical and health resources. Government should perform its functions, and medical institutions and the whole society should all participate.