title: Suggestions to ameliorate the inequity in urban/rural allocation of healthcare resources in China.
abstract: The imbalance in the allocation in healthcare resources between urban and rural areas has become a main focus of the recent medical reforms adopted in China. However, systematic analysis has identified wide differences in the allocation of healthcare resources between urban and rural areas, including healthcare expenditures and the number of healthcare facilities, available beds, and personnel. Therefore, the aim of this report was to identify ethical considerations in current governmental policies to rectify existing problems in the distribution of healthcare resources. Our findings indicate that the inequality in the distribution of healthcare resources does not adhere to ethical standards and the policies are flawed because they give rise to differences in the availability of medical care to urban and rural communities. To optimize the allocation of medical healthcare resources, countermeasures are proposed to formulate policies to urge the flow of public healthcare resources to rural areas, strengthen the responsibilities of both governmental and public financial investments, increase the construction of public healthcare facilities in rural areas, promote the quality of healthcare resources, adjust resource allocations to rural public healthcare facilities, and improve resource utilization efficiency by establishing two-way referral mechanisms.
authors.forename: Yiyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 Qing Chun Road, Shang Cheng District, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China. youzi_116@126.com.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D005380:Financing, Government; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006291:Health Policy; D006295:Health Resources; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000941:ethics; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics* / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population