International experiences and implications for education and training of health professionals in rural areas / 中国卫生政策研究

ABSTRACT

Objectives:To describe and summarize international evidences on policies and programs for training health personnel in rural areas,to identify best practice to increase health manpower in rural areas, and to provide references for China's policy of targeted admission program. Methods:This is a literature review based research. 48 literatures in Chinese and English were selected about the training of health professionals in rural areas at home and a-broad. Thematic framework approach was applied to review and analyze the related strategies and practices,and les-sons learned. Results: Common measures to train health personnel in rural areas included enrollment of students with a rural background,tutoring system in medical training,internship in rural health institutions, financial incen-tives,and compulsory rural services after graduation. Lessons learnt(1) adequate financial resources are a prereq-uisite for smooth program implementation;(2) Good project management and evaluation are critical aspects of effec-tive project implementation;(3) choosing the right combination of various practices to implement such projects can improve effectiveness. Conclusions:The policy of targeted admission program is suitable for China's current situation. Meanwhile,international experiences can provide valuable lessons to improve China's program design and implemen-tation and these includeincreasing capital investment,strengthening management and evaluation,and strengthening sector cooperation to further improve targeted admission program.