Continuity of medical care:a strategy to realize hierarchical medical system within the county / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

This study analyzed the key links and main challenges in the implementation of hierarchical medical system within the county, namely such aspects as medical services, medical insurance, information and management. We took the continuity of medical care in countywide medical community as an entry point, in order to expound the concept and application of continuous service. This program covers continuous clinical pathway guiding and normalizing the inter-agency services between county and township level medical staff;the integrated payment strengthening the motivation of collaboration; the interconnected information promoting timeliness and effectiveness of technical and non-technical information transfer; and the three-dimensional and bi-directional management mode of the supporting and operating mechanisms. Local governments can propel the program gradually according to the actual situation, change the ideas and habits of each parties, and eventually achieve a long-term, and complex systematic hierarchical medical system.