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Article

Examining the Multi-Scalar Unevenness of High-Quality Healthcare Resources Distribution in China

by 1,2, 1,2,*, 1,2, 3 and 1,2
1
Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
2
Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, The University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
3
Public Policy Research Center, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100732, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(16), 2813; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162813
Received: 10 June 2019 / Revised: 2 August 2019 / Accepted: 3 August 2019 / Published: 7 August 2019
(This article belongs to the Section Health Care Sciences & Services)
Healthcare disparity is, to a large extent, ascribable to the uneven distribution of high-quality healthcare resources, which remains insufficiently examined, largely due to data unavailability. To overcome this barrier, we synthesized multiple sources of data, employed integrated methods and made a comprehensive analysis of government administrative structures and the socio-economic environment to build probably the most inclusive dataset of Chinese 3-A hospitals thus far. Calibrated on a sample of 379 hospitals rated by a reputable organization, we developed a realistic and viable evaluation framework for assessing hospital quality in China. We then calculated performance scores for 1246 3-A hospitals, which were aggregated and further analyzed at multiple scales (cities, provinces, regions, and economic zones) using general entropy indexes. This research shows that the fragmented governance and incoordination of “kuai” and “tiao” is rooted deeply in China’s legacy of centrally-planned systems, and has had a far-reaching yet partially contradictory influence over the contemporary distribution and performance of healthcare resources. Additionally, the unevenness in the distribution of healthcare resources is related closely to a city’s administrative rank and power. This study thus suggests that the policy design of healthcare systems should be coordinated with external socio-economic transformation in a sustainable manner. View Full-Text
Keywords: high-quality healthcare resources; evaluation framework; 3-A hospitals; hospital quality; general entropy indexes; multi-scalar unevenness high-quality healthcare resources; evaluation framework; 3-A hospitals; hospital quality; general entropy indexes; multi-scalar unevenness
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MDPI and ACS Style

Yu, M.; He, S.; Wu, D.; Zhu, H.; Webster, C. Examining the Multi-Scalar Unevenness of High-Quality Healthcare Resources Distribution in China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 2813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162813

AMA Style

Yu M, He S, Wu D, Zhu H, Webster C. Examining the Multi-Scalar Unevenness of High-Quality Healthcare Resources Distribution in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(16):2813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162813

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yu, Meng, Shenjing He, Dunxu Wu, Hengpeng Zhu, and Chris Webster. 2019. "Examining the Multi-Scalar Unevenness of High-Quality Healthcare Resources Distribution in China" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 16: 2813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162813

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