The Role and Scope of Private Medical Practice in China

Chapter 3. Result part 2
However, they gave poor ratings to:
• the truthfulness of advertisements of health facilities in the media,
• affordability of medical expenses, and
• the skill level of private doctors.
Opinions on various issues concerning the health care system in general
Respondents were asked to indicate on a five point scale, whether they
strongly disagreed (1 point) or strongly agreed (5 point) with a number of statements
designed to probe attitudes and opinions on various issues concerning the health care
system in general.
Rural residents were generally more favorably disposed toward private
medical services. In particular, they came out strongly on three items: their preference
to be seen by private doctors, their desire for the government to encourage the setting
up of more private clinic and hospitals (Table 21).
Table 21. Opinions of residents in urban and rural areas concerning health care system
(% agree and strongly agree)
Total Urban Rural
1. When I’m sick, I prefer to be seen by a private doctor than a public doctor 28.7 17.2 40.1
2. Public hospitals provide a higher standard of care than private hospitals 78.1 72.3 83.9
3. Health care is a government responsibility; government should pay for the bulk of the 57.8 55.7 59.9
people’s health care expenditure.
4. The government should encourage more private hospitals to be set up 45.0 33.7 56.2
5. Doctors in the public sector should be allowed to have private medical practice parttime,
36.5 26.7 46.6
to supplement their income
6. I trust Traditional Chinese Medicine more than I trust Western Medicine 30.8 27.8 33.7
7. I prefer to see a doctor who practices both Chinese and Western Medicine 74.3 71.0 77.6
8. Doctors in private practice tend to over prescribe medicines for patients 57.1 59.9 54.5
9. Doctors in public practice tend to over prescribe medicines for patients 58.6 63.6 53.2
10. Doctors in private practice have better skills/ techniques than those in public practice 8.1 8.7 7.7
11. I find health care costs too high and unaffordable 69.9 70.4 69.8
12. The government should encourage more private clinics to be set up 41.6 28.6 54.3
13. Private hospitals give patients a better quality of service 53.3 52.5 54.1
14. Private clinics give patients a better quality of service 50.1 46.9 52.9
15. Health care is an individual responsibility; people should pay for the bulk of their
own health care expenditure
34.9 26.7 42.9
Multivariate analysis showed that those who agreed that “government should
encourage more private hospitals to be set up” tended to be people of Guangdong
province, living in rural area, with at least a bachelor degree, having relatively poor
self-reported health status (see Table 22), whereas those who agree that “government
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