Shenzhen has so far established 3,528 family doctor service teams offering contract services to about 4 million permanent residents, with 10,946 care beds installed in families, Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission said Thursday, the 12th World Family Doctor Day.
In Shenzhen, family doctor services are not provided by a single doctor. Instead, the services are delivered by a care team that may consist of general practitioners, community nurses, public health physicians, specialists, pharmacists, health managers, mental health counselors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, social workers or volunteers and community workers.
A general practitioner and a community nurse are required care team members, while the rest are optional on demand.
Permanent Shenzhen residents who have a registered residence or have lived in the city for over half a year are eligible to sign a contract with a family doctor service team for free at local community health institutions.
After residents have signed the contract, they can receive basic medical care, public health services, health management, health education and consultation, diagnosis and treatment, appointment, referral and home care bed services.
Residents who have mobility difficulties or meet home health management requirements can apply for home care beds and enjoy door-to-door family doctor services.
Currently, family doctor services are provided primarily by the city’s 833 community health institutions, the city’s health authority said. On average, there is one community health institution for every 20,000 people.
The number of community health institutions in Shenzhen increased by 32.2% by the end of 2021, compared to 630 in 2016. The number of workers employed by the city’s community health institutions has increased by 91.8% since 2016, according to the health commission.
The institutions have also become a stronger presence in providing medical services to residents. In 2021, community health institutions, which employed 12.7% of the city’s medical staff, received 33.1% of the city’s outpatient visits, particularly from chronic disease patients with hypertension and diabetes, the commission said.
