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 home healthcare for the elderly through its family doctor contract service systems. This initiative was announced in a recent notice.

Family doctors in this system include general practitioners at local medical facilities, qualified rural doctors, and retired doctors from public hospitals. The system, established in 2016, allows family physicians to sign contracts with residents, providing them with basic and customized healthcare services. The goal is to reduce the strain on large hospitals and better support an aging population facing a rise in chronic diseases.

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

The notice 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 assessment reports for key groups and conduct home visits or follow-up services for contracted patients aged 80 and older, focusing on health evaluations and medication guidance.

Furthermore, the notice suggests that family doctors should increase the frequency of services for elderly patients with mobility issues or dementia and explore options for long-term assessments or nursing services. Family doctors are also tasked with sending out at least a dozen health messages annually, offering 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 the transfer of patients initially seen by 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 annually, reaching 75 percent by 2035, with an 85 percent coverage rate for key populations.