Observational studyBMJ open2023
Examining clinical capability of township healthcare centres for rural health service planning in Sichuan, China: an administrative data analysis.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of the Tiered-Network Healthcare Policy (TNHP) on the health resource allocation, patients flow and service efficiencies of Primary Healthcare Institutions (PHCIs) in China: an interrupted time series study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Bridging knowledge gaps for healthy China 2030 plan: a province-wide assessment of primary healthcare workers' competencies and training preferences in Henan, China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Maximising the potential of the National Compulsory Service Programme in rural China: a mixed methods study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Research on the construction strategy of China's rural emergency linkage system from the perspective of systems theory-based on the survey of six regions in China.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to examine the clinical capability of township healthcare centres (THCs), the main primary care providers in rural China, as a basis for rural health service planning.
designObservational study of quantitative analysis using administrative data.
settingThree counties with low, middle and high social economic development level, respectively, in Sichuan province western China.
participants9 THCs and 6 county hospitals (CHs) were purposively selected in the three counties. Summary of electronic medical records of 31 633 admissions from 1 January 2015 to 30 December 2015 of these selected health institutions was obtained from the Health Information Centre of Sichuan province.
main outcome measuresSix indicators in scope of inpatient services related to diseases and surgeries in the THCs as proxy of clinical capability, were compared against national standard of capability building of THCs, among counties, and between THCs and CHs of each county.
resultsThe clinical capability of THCs was suboptimal against the national standard, though that of the middle-developed county was better than that in the rich and the poor counties. THCs mainly provided services of infectious or inflammatory diseases, of respiratory and digestive systems, but lacked clinical services related to injuries, poisoning, pregnancy, childbirth and surgeries. A large proportion of the top 20 diseases of inpatients were potentially avoidable hospitalisations (PAHs) and were overlapped between THCs and CHs.
conclusionsThe clinical capability of THCs was generally suboptimal against national standard. It may be affected by the economics, population size, facilities, workforce and the share of services of THCs in local health systems. Identification of absent services and PAHs may help to identify development priorities of local THCs. Clarification of the roles of THCs and CHs in the tiered rural health system in China is warranted to develop a better integrated health system.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.