J Educ Eval Health Prof.  2016;13:18. 10.3352/jeehp.2016.13.18.

Is a decentralized continuing medical education program feasible for Chinese rural health professionals?

• Hu G
• Yi Y

• KMID: 2413767
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2016.13.18

Abstract

PURPOSE
Rural health professionals in township health centers (THCs) tend to have less advanced educational degrees. This study aimed to ascertain the perceived feasibility of a decentralized continuing medical education (CME) program to upgrade their educational levels.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of THC health professionals was conducted using a self-administered, structured questionnaire in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
RESULTS
The health professionals in the THCs were overwhelmingly young with low education levels. They had a strong desire to upgrade their educational degrees. The decentralized CME program was perceived as feasible by health workers with positive attitudes about the benefit for license examination, and by those who intended to improve their clinical diagnosis and treatment skills. The target groups of such a program were those who expected to undertake a bachelor's degree and who rated themselves as "partially capable" in clinical competency. They reported that 160-400 USD annually would be an affordable fee for the program.
CONCLUSION
A decentralized CME program was perceived feasible to upgrade rural health workers' education level to a bachelor's degree and improve their clinical competency.

Keyword

China; Clinical competence; Continuing medical education; Health personnel; Licensure

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
China
Clinical Competence
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diagnosis
Dronabinol
Education
Education, Medical, Continuing*
Fees and Charges
Health Occupations
Health Personnel
Humans
Licensure
Rural Health*
Dronabinol

Reference

References

1. World Health Organization. The world health report: 2006: Working together for health [Internet]. Geneva, Swiss: World Health Organization;2006. [cited 2016 Mar 6]. Available from: http://www.int/iris/handle/10665/43432.

2. White C, Willett K, Mitchell C, Constantine S, White C, Willett K, Mitchell C, Constantine S. Making a difference: Education and training retains and supports rural and remote health workers in queensland. Rural Remote Health. 2007; 7:700.

3. Humphreys J, Wakerman J, Wells R, Kuipers P, Jones J, Entwistle P, Harvey P. Improving primary health care workforce retention in small rural and remote communities: How important is ongoing education and training [Internet]. Canberra, Australia: Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute;2007. [cited 2016 Mar 6]. Available from: http://www.net/publication/265199851.

4. Song K, Scott A, Sivey P, Meng Q. Improving Chinese primary care providers’ recruitment and retention: A discrete choice experiment. Health Policy Plan. 2015; 30:68–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czt098.

5. Meng Q, Yuan J, Jing L, Zhang J. Mobility of primary health care workers in china. Hum Resour Health. 2009; 7:24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-7-24.

6. Yi Y, Chongsuvivatwong V, Sriplung H, Hu G, McNeil E, Feng Q, Zhou H, Wei B. Unmet need in continuing medical education programs for rural Chinese township health professionals. J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2015; 12:25. http://dx.doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2015.12.25.

7. Grobler L, Marais BJ, Mabunda S. Interventions for increasing the proportion of health professionals practising in rural and other underserved areas. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015; 6:CD005314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005314.pub3.

8. Huang L, Yang D, Yao L, Liu Z, Wu W. Guangxi’s rural health insurance scheme: evidence from an ethnic minority region in China. Rural Remote Health. 2013; 13:2454.

9. Martha MG, Brian S, Tina H, Betty S. Decentralized medical education in rural communities: The circuit rider connection. Fam Med. 2008; 40:321–325.

10. Yip WC-M, Hsiao WC, Chen W, Hu S, Ma J, Maynard A. Early appraisal of China’s huge and complex health-care reforms. Lancet. 2012; 379:833–842. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61880-1.

11. Li X, Chongsuvivatwong V, Xia X, Sangsupawanich P, Zheng W, Ma K. Revisiting current “barefoot health workers” in border areas of China: System of services, financial issue and clinical practice prior to introducing integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI). BMC Public Health. 2012; 12:1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-620.