ObjectiveTo understand the cognition and mediation tendencies of health care workers in terms of third-party mediation for medical disputes, analyze the factors influencing the trust of both doctors and patients on third-party mediation, and propose suggestions on building third-party mediation mechanisms for medical disputes. MethodsBetween August and December 2012, we made the cognition questionnaire on third-party mediation for medical disputes based on the past medical literature, and the knowledge of doctor-patient relationship as well as third-party mediation agency's organizational structure (including locations and management authorities), staffing, mediation basis, validity sources and fund ensuring. We performed the random cluster sampling survey on all health care workers in five hospitals of different levels. The original data were put into the computer for statistical analysis by SPSS 18.0. ResultsThe knowledge of health care workers on third-party mediation was high. They believed that the best place for solving medical disputes should be the court or judicial administrative department, and the management authorities should be health administrative departments. In case of mediation failure, the majority of health care staff chose to continue to solve the dispute through legal channels. For the effectiveness of mediation conclusion, most health care workers tended to believe in the form of arbitration. They thought that mediators should have professional background of medicine and law; the majority of those surveyed doctors tended to accept forensic conclusions as a basis for mediation. For determining the compensation, doctors were in favor of Applicable Regulations for Medical Malpractice. Over 40% of medical staff believed that third-party mediation should be financed by government financial allocation, and more than half of the medical staff believed that it should be paid by the insurance company. ConclusionThird-party mediation should be set in and managed by the court or judicial and administrative departments. Mediator group should be formed by professionals of law and medical sciences. In the mediation process, it is recommended that the focus of controversy should be identified by forensic identification in order to form a clear division of responsibilities and high mediation efficiency. We recommend that the government introduce in financial allocations at all levels on the basis of medical liability insurance system, and force medical institutions to purchase medical liability insurance through the regulations of law, in order to provide funding support for the operation of third-party mediation organizations. Meanwhile, medical liability insurance companies should be operated under strict supervision to avoid their interference on the mediation work.
ObjectiveTo understand patients’ cognition of third-party mediation model for medical disputes, analyze the factors influencing the trust of patients on third-party mediation, and propose recommendations for building third-party mediation mechanisms. MethodsFrom November 2013 to April 2014, we referred past literature to design a relevant questionnaire on the cognition of third-party mediation for medical disputes. Patients who had reached the end of the treatment were surveyed by random cluster sampling. The raw data were put into the computer for statistical analysis by SPSS 18.0. ResultsAfter giving out 500 questionnaires, we acquired 486 effective questionnaires. The result showed that 61.52% of the patients knew of third-party mediation; 55.35% of the patients considered that thirdparty mediation should be set in and supervised by the court or judicial administrative department; if the mediation failed, 57.41% of the patients chose to resolve the dispute through legal channels, and 67.90% of the patients tended to confirm the force of mediation conclusion by arbitration; 70.58% of the patients considered that mediators should have professional background of medicine and law; 73.05% of the patients tended to take conclusions of forensic identification as the basis for mediation; 64.81% of the patients were biased to take Tort Liability Act as the basis for determining the compensation; 53.70% of the patients believed that financial allocations could solve the fund problems of third-party mediation, while 38.48% of the patients thought the funds should be provided by insurance companies; 91.15% of the patients thought the medical institutions should purchase medical liability insurance, and 54.32% of the patients thought insurance companies should not intervene the process of meditation. Conclusions Government should provide financial allocations to ensure the funds of third-party mediation. Besides, medical insurance should be brought in as a supplement. Medical institutions should purchase medical liability insurance to solve problems caused by medical disputes. Third-party mediation should be set in and supervised by the court or the judicial administrative department. Mediators should have professional background of medicine and law. Conclusions of forensic identification should be the basis for third-party mediation.
ObjectivesTo investigate Chinese health practitioners’ usage and demand for clinical practice guidelines in general so as to improve the development and implementation of guidelines.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey that covered health practitioners from different levels of medical institutions in 17 provinces in China. Attitudes, adherence, usage barriers and demands for clinical practice guidelines were investigated.ResultsA total of 953 health practitioners were involved in the survey in which 931 completed the questionnaires. Respondents generally held positive attitudes toward guidelines and agreed that they improved quality of care and standardized diagnosis and treatment. More than 80% of the respondents reported a fine adherence to guidelines. The most reported barriers to follow the guidelines were " several guidelines are competing” and " lack of facilities and medical resources”. Most respondents agreed that it was necessary to establish a national guideline database, appraise implementation effect of guidelines, develop evaluation tools for guidelines that are applicable for Chinese clinical practice, and provide guidelines training.ConclusionsThis study finds favorable attitudes and fine adherence towards clinical guidelines in general in China. However, internal barriers, such as authority of guidelines, and external barriers, such as supplying system and patients’ preference, can affect guideline dissemination and implementation. It is suggested that establishing a national guidelines database, developing evaluation tools for guidelines that fit for Chinese clinical practice, and provision of guideline training, would facilitate the use of guidelines.
Objective To explore the factors which influence the doctor-patient relationship and to provide evidence to help decision makers improve hospital management and construct a harmonious doctor-patient relationship. Methods Discharged patients of West China Hospital from 2003-2006 were randomly selected and asked to complete a specially designed questionnaire. Results In total, 8 000 questionnaires were distributed and 2 526 were returned. The retrieval rate was 31.57%. The responses showed that non-medical factors have became the main factors affecting the doctor-patient relationship (91.8%). Other important factors included medical cost (21.5%) and doctor-patient communication (11.51%). Conclusion We should boost hospital management level, train non-medical staff, save costs and improve doctor-patient communication.
ObjectiveTo formulate the Chinese version of Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form/Caregiver Version (FoP-Q-SF/C) and examine the reliability and validity of the scale.MethodsA questionnaire survey of FoP-Q-SF/C was conducted among the caregivers of melanoma out-patients in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from June 2019 to March 2020. Convenient sampling method was adopted. The validity and reliability of the scale were analyzed.ResultsA total of 247 caregivers of melanoma out-patients were investigated by the FoP-Q-SF/C, and 101 valid questionnaires were finally collected. The Cronbach’s α of the FoP-Q-SF/C scale was 0.919, and the Guttman Split-Half coefficient was 0.906. Using exploratory factor analysis to extract 3 common factors, the cumulative explainable total variation was 73.964%. The model fit was as follows: chi-square/degree of freedom was 1.950, standardized root mean square residual was 0.067, goodness of fit index was 0.859, incremental fit index was 0.939, comparative fit index was 0.938, Tucker-Lewis index or non-normed fit index was 0.918, and the root-mean-square error of approximation was 0.097.ConclusionsThe FoP-Q-SF/C scale formulated in this study is divided into three dimensions, which has good reliability and validity, meanwhile, it is relatively simple and can be used to clinically screen melanoma caregivers’ FoP-Q-SF/C levels. However, the application of this scale in other diseases still needs further testing.
Objective To investigate the attitudes of Chinese doctors towards the difficulties they have concerning the involvement of patients in decision-making about treatment. Method We surveyed 1 088 doctors at different levels (70% internal medicine, 22% general surgery, 8% gynecology) from 20 general hospitals and 5 university hospitals covering 25 provinces and cities in China, using a simple questionnaire, which we had developed. Results A total of 780 doctors returned the questionnaire and of these only 488 (62%) had completed it. The difficulties that doctors were most concerned about focused on lack of time (27%), expressing uncertainties to patients (15%), dealing with patients who have little medical knowledge (13%), eliciting patients’ preferences (12%), and establishing a stable relationship (9%). Conclusion Increasing their knowledge of patient involvement in making treatment decisions may reinforce appropriate attitudes towards this concept among doctors.
Objective To evaluate the applicability of the cut-off points of different versions of the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) in the Chinese population and their consistency with the symptom control criteria of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), so as to provide strategies for cut-off point selection in clinical practice. Methods Based on baseline data from a multicenter prospective cohort study, asthma patients who completed pulmonary function tests, GINA symptom control assessments, and the ACQ-7 questionnaire were included. Taking the GINA symptom control level as the gold standard, the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) was used to determine the optimal cut-off points of the ACQ for discriminating the GINA symptom control levels, and the consistency was analyzed by kappa statistics. Results Among 399 patients (58.9% female; mean age 44.5 ± 12.8 years), asthma symptom control, partial control, and uncontrolled rates were 61.7%, 27.6%, and 10.8%, respectively. ROC analysis revealed the following optimal cutoffs for identifying symptom control: ACQ-5 (0.5), ACQ-6Res (0.42), ACQ-6PFT (0.92), and ACQ-7 (0.93); for identifying uncontrolled symptoms: ACQ-5 (0.9), ACQ-6Res (1.08), ACQ-6PFT (1.42), and ACQ-7 (1.36). All corresponding areas under the ROC curve (AUC) exceeded 0.9. Consistency between ACQ and GINA symptom control levels was moderate (Fleiss’ κ = 0.453–0.531). Performance characteristics varied between traditional (0.75/1.5) and optimized cutoffs. After optimization, ACQ-5 emerged as the only version achieving balanced sensitivity-specificity (Youden index = 0.75) in dual tasks: ACQ-5 ≤ 0.5 demonstrated sensitivity (91%) and specificity (84%) for symptom control, while ACQ-5 ≥ 0.9 showed sensitivity (95%) and specificity (80%) for uncontrolled status. Conclusions Region-specific calibration of ACQ cutoffs enhances clinical utility in the Chinese population. A stratified application strategy is recommended: high-sensitivity cutoffs for initial screening to reduce underdiagnosis, high-specificity cutoffs for resource-constrained settings to minimize overtreatment, and optimized ACQ-5 cutoffs (≤0.5/≥0.9) for comprehensive management to balance sensitivity and specificity. Flexible combination of cutoff protocols tailored to screening objectives may optimize hierarchical asthma management.
Objective?To investigate the current status of new clinical medical postgraduate students on their learning goals and expectation of employment, and to provide the evidence and suggestions for improving the management of medical postgraduates’ training. Methods?We designed the questionnaire to investigate the current status of learning goals and expectation of employment of new clinical medical postgraduate students of Lanzhou University. We issued 164 questionnaires and took back 164 ones, among which 157 were effective, with the effective rate of 95.7%. Results?(1) The proportion of the postgraduates with working experience was less than 50%, and most of these worked in the municipal and county hospitals. (2) The 78.3% of them considered that clinical and research abilities were of the same importance. (3) The 65.6% of them expected to get Medical Science Degree; (4) The 96.8% of them wanted, after graduation, to engage in clinical work or the work in which clinical affairs and research were equally important, and only 3.2% hoped to engage in research-oriented work; (5) Although clinical skills and research capabilities of the first-year medical postgraduates were very poor at their entrance to the graduate school, their expectations of employment were very high. Conclusion?(1) The improvement and innovation of medical postgraduates’ clinical and research training are urgently needed. (2) The publicity and supporting policies should be enhanced for Clinical Medicine Degrees, and the postgraduates should be guided to comply their own expectations with social needs properly.
ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence and associated factors of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among diabetic residents in Longyan of Fujian Province. MethodsA investigative research. From January 2022 to December 2023, a total of 10 061 diabetic patients enrolled in the chronic disease follow-up management system from 112 towns and sub-districts in 7 counties and districts of Longyan of Fujian Province were selected as the target population. A questionnaire survey, routine physical examination, vision test, and non-mydriatic fundus photography were conducted. A total of 762 cases with missing height, weight, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and diabetes duration, and 507 cases with unclear fundus photography were excluded, resulting in 8 792 cases included in the final statistical analysis. DR diagnosis and classification were based on the 2019 International Clinical Classification of DR. The prevalence of DR was calculated for single-eye or double-eye DR cases as 1 case; the more severe eye was used for DR grading in double-eye DR cases. Statistical analysis was performed by grouping based on the presence or absence of DR and dividing into age groups ≤67 years and >67 years. χ2 test was used to analyze factors associated with prevalence; binary multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify influencing factors of DR. ResultsAmong the 8 792 cases, 888 (10.1%, 888/8 792) were diagnosed with DR (DR group), and 7 904 (89.9%, 7 904/8 792) had no DR (non-DR group). Compared to the non-DR group, the DR group showed significant increases in FPG (Z=−12.448), diabetes duration (Z=−18.936), systolic blood pressure (Z=−4.237), diastolic blood pressure (Z=−2.881), and body mass index (BMI) ≥24 kg/m² (P＜0.001). Significant differences were also found between the two groups in hypertension (χ2=11.450), hyperlipidemia (χ2=5.100), kidney disease (χ2=7.039), family history of diabetes (χ2=5.025), and regular medication use (χ2=66.034) (P＜0.05). There were 4 688 cases in the ≤67 years group and 4 104 in the ＞67 years group. In the ≤67 years group, significant differences in DR prevalence were found for FPG levels (χ2=111.754), diabetes duration (χ2=231.658), BMI (χ2=12.404), systolic blood pressure (χ2=17.912), regular medication use (χ2=40.727), hyperlipidemia (χ2=6.816), and hypertension history (χ2=6.775) (P＜0.05). In the >67 years group, significant differences in DR prevalence were found for FPG levels (χ2=59.916), diabetes duration (χ2=128.362), systolic blood pressure (χ2=5.183), regular medication use (χ2=22.097), kidney disease (χ2=6.251), and family history of diabetes duration (χ2=4.967) (P＜0.05). No significant differences in DR prevalence were found based on sex, education level, smoking history, alcohol consumption, exercise habits, heart disease history, or other family disease history (P＞0.05). Logistics regression analysis results show that patients aged ＞67 years, FPG [odds ratio (OR)=1.074, 95%confidence interval (CI) 1.046-1.102], diabetes duration (OR=1.088, 95%CI 1.071-1.106), systolic blood pressure (OR=1.007, 95%CI 1.001-1.013), and kidney disease (OR=3.617, 95%CI 1.268-10.320) were identified as risk factors for DR (P＜0.05). In patients aged ≤67 years, FPG (OR=1.088, 95%CI 1.067-1.110), diabetes duration (OR=1.108, 95%CI 1.091-1.125), and systolic blood pressure (OR=1.008, 95%CI 1.003-1.013) were identified as independent risk factors for DR (P＜0.05), while BMI ≥24 kg/m² (OR=0.934, 95%CI 0.908-0.965) was a protective factor for DR (P＜0.05). Age, regular medication use, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were identified as potential confounding factors for DR occurrence. ConclusionsThe prevalence of DR among diabetes patients in Longyan of Fujian Province, is 10.1%. FPG, diabete duration, and systolic blood pressure are independent risk factors for DR, while age, regular medication use, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are potential confounding factors for DR occurrence.
Objective To investigate the knowledge level about pulmonary rehabilitation in respiratory physicians in Shanghai. Methods A self-designed questionnaire about pulmonary rehabilitation was sent to respiratory physicians in 18 tertiary-care referral hospitals of Shanghai from June to September 2011. Results A total of 237 valid questionnaires were collected. Accuracy rate of single-answer questions was(62.1±18.3)% , while correct rate of multiple-answer questions ( more than one answer) was ( 35.5±15.6) % . Neither working years nor doctor rank had correlation with accuracy of questionnaires. Conclusion The knowledge about pulmonary rehabilitation in respiratory physicians of Shanghai was poor. We need to strengthen the relevant training and continuing education.