Regional differences in the level of healthcare in China

OBJECTIVES: Large inequities exist between different regions in China in terms of access to healthcare. However, there is limited quantitative research on these regional disparities. Therefore, we aimed to analyse the differences in the levels of healthcare in various regions of China, and to provide a reference for healthcare reform aimed at optimising the allocation of medical resources in China. METHODS: We collected and organised healthcare-related data from China's provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government from 2012 to 2021 and selected 18 indicators related to medical services for the year 2021. We used factor analysis, cluster analysis, and the Theil and Atkinson index to quantitatively study the medical service levels of China's regions. RESULTS: There was a large discrepancy between regions in terms of the level of healthcare, with the lowest level of healthcare in economically underdeveloped regions. The distribution of medical resources in various regions of China is uneven, with a lack of medical resources in the western and central regions and underutilisation of medical resources in easten region. CONCLUSIONS: To rectify the imbalance in the level of healthcare services across China, health reform must focus on enhancing regional economic development. Strengthen the capacity of grassroots healthcare services and reduce inequalities in medical resource allocation. Moreover, future policies should focus more on addressing regional disparities in healthcare funding and urban-rural gaps in medical resource allocation.