China to Enhance Family Doctor Services for Chronic Disease and Elderly Care

China is implementing plans to improve access to medications for chronic diseases and enhance healthcare services for the elderly through its family doctor contract service systems. A recent notice outlines these initiatives.

The family doctor system in China utilizes general practitioners at local medical facilities, qualified rural doctors, and retired doctors from public hospitals. This system, established in 2016, allows family physicians to sign contracts with residents, providing them with essential and personalized healthcare. The goal is to reduce reliance on large hospitals and better support the aging population, which is increasingly affected by chronic diseases.

The notice, issued by the National Health Commission and other government departments, emphasizes improving the quality and accessibility of these services. Family doctors are encouraged to provide prescriptions lasting several weeks for chronic disease patients within key groups. These groups include the elderly, pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, and those with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and severe mental disorders.

The plan also encourages pharmacists at primary healthcare institutions to offer home-based pharmaceutical care and medicine delivery to contracted patients. Family doctors are expected to provide annual health assessments for key groups and conduct home visits or follow-up services for patients aged 80 and older, focusing on health evaluations and medication guidance.

Furthermore, the notice encourages family doctors to offer more frequent services to elderly patients with mobility issues or dementia, exploring long-term assessment and nursing service options. They are also tasked with sending out at least a dozen health messages annually and providing tailored education on topics such as exercise, diet, smoking cessation, and reducing the intake of unhealthy substances.

The notice also mandates that major hospitals appropriately manage patient transfers from family doctors and reserve appointment slots, including those for senior expert consultations and hospital beds, for contracted residents. The nation aims to increase the coverage rate of family doctor contract services by several percentage points each year, reaching 75 percent by 2035, with an 85 percent coverage rate for key populations.