title: Primary care quality among different health care structures in Tibet, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the primary care quality among different health care structures in Tibet, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire survey including Primary Care Assessment Tool-Tibetan version was used to obtain data from a total of 1386 patients aged over 18 years in the sampling sites in two prefectures in Tibet. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the association between health care structures and primary care quality while controlling for sociodemographic and health care characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The services provided by township health centers were more often used by a poor, less educated, and healthy population. Compared with prefecture (77.42) and county hospitals (82.01), township health centers achieved highest total score of primary care quality (86.64). Factors that were positively and significantly associated with higher total assessment scores included not receiving inpatient service in the past year, less frequent health care visits, good self-rated health status, lower education level, and marital status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that township health centers patients reported better primary care quality than patients visiting prefecture and county hospitals. Government health reforms should pay more attention to THC capacity building in Tibet, especially in the area of human resource development.
authors: School of Public Health, Wuhan University, 115 Donghu Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China ; Center for Health Management and Policy, Shandong University, No. 44 Wenhuaxilu, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Wenhua
authors: 0000-0002-5429-728X
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Primary Care Policy Center, 624 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors: Leiyu
authors: 0000-0001-9227-0849
authors: L
authors: Shi
authors: Center for Health Management and Policy, Shandong University, No. 44 Wenhuaxilu, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Aitian
authors: A
authors: Yin
authors: School of Public Health, Wuhan University, 115 Donghu Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
authors: Zongfu
authors: Z
authors: Mao
authors: School of Management, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: 0000-0003-1551-4787
authors: E
authors: Maitland
authors: School of Management, Tianjin Normal University, West Bin Shui Avenue, Tianjin 300074, China ; Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, 2 Baiyun North Avenue, Baiyun, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510420, China ; University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.
authors: Stephen
authors: 0000-0001-6770-7105
authors: S
authors: Nicholas
authors: China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100191, China.
authors: Xiaoyun
authors: X
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018609:Tibet