Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41298790›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Qualitative phenomenological exploration of lived experiences and perspectives of Chinese hospital administrators engaged in medical dispute management.

Jun Chen, Meng-Xuan Zhang, Yi-Geng Hou, Jie Chen, Jun Zhou, Ying-Ying Luo, Peng Liu, Ai-Yue Mao, Xiao-Man Hou, Hui Duan

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jun Chen *Medical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China. chenjun5566email@163.com.
Meng-Xuan Zhang *Faculty of Arts, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Yi-Geng HouMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Jie ChenMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Jun ZhouMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Ying-Ying LuoMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Peng LiuMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Ai-Yue MaoMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Xiao-Man HouMedical Services Management Department, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100035, China.
Hui DuanSchool of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Qiushi Building, No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100872, China. rucduanhui@ruc.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Medical disputes are a significant challenge in healthcare settings worldwide, with hospital administrators playing a pivotal role in managing the conflicts. In China, despite a reported decline, medical disputes continue to raise public and governmental concerns due to factors such as medical accessibility, patient expectations, and staff competency. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences and perspectives of Chinese hospital administrators directly engaged in medical dispute management, to understand the challenges they face and inform the development of targeted training and support systems. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 13 hospital administrators from two major regional comprehensive hospitals in Beijing. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and met criteria including active engagement in managing medical disputes and adequate communication skills. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's thematic analysis method to extract significant themes from the participants' experiences. Administrators reported four interconnected challenges: how gender shapes authority and perceived safety in disputes; the struggle to maintain an impartial, 'outsider' stance; wide variability in the emotional toll of conflict; and a pronounced need for structured, ongoing dispute-management training. The key themes revealed included (1) Gender Dynamics in Conflict Management: female administrators faced challenges in authority recognition and preferred having male colleagues present during intense disputes for perceived safety and effectiveness; (2) Outsider Perspective in Conflict Management: maintaining an impartial and detached stance was crucial for effective mediation, but administrators varied in their ability to achieve this mindset; (3) Variability in Psychological Experiences: administrators reported diverse emotional reactions and psychological impacts. Some struggled to detach emotionally and lacked formal support systems; (4) Need for Specific Training: there was a clear demand for structured, ongoing training programs tailored to the unique challenges of medical dispute management. Chinese hospital administrators face complex challenges including emotional strain, mixed-gender preference in intense encounters, and insufficient training and support. Addressing the issues is essential for enhancing administrators' effectiveness in conflict resolution, improving patient care outcomes, and promoting organizational efficiency. Medical institutions should develop comprehensive training programs and establish support systems for administrators' well-being.

Indexed as

Dissent and DisputesHospital AdministratorsAdultChinaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNegotiatingQualitative ResearchChinaConflict resolutionEmotional resilienceGender dynamicsHospital administratorMedical dispute managementQualitative researchTraining

Identifiers

PMID41298790
PMCPMC12657975

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.