A Human Resource Development Strategy for Primary Health Care: an Exploratory Study of Mixed Methods

Abstract

Background: The serious shortage of primary health care (PHC) providers is a common issue in the health reforms worldwide, including in China. The government of China have proposed that encouraging and guiding qualified medical personnel to work in primary medical and health care institutions (PMHCIs) is an effective way to improve the overall quality and efficiency of PHC, but it has not produced good results. The problem of insufficient human resources of PHC has not been substantially ameliorated.Methods: Based on implicit theory and lexical approach, pre-investigation was conducted to collect the items that influence the medical personnel to seek employment at PMHCIs from the perspective of guided objects. Through a three-phase investigation of 1,160 doctors in 29 public hospitals in 9 cities, the items were categorized, and a structural equation model was established and verified to explore the interrelationship of influencing factors.Results: A total of 5 factors were rotated, including Sense of Gain (SG), Internal Organization Development (IOD), Remuneration and Development (RD), Condition of the City Where the PMHCI Is Located (CCPL), Job Responsibilities (JR) and Family Support (FS). The results of the model showed that IOD, RD, JR and FS had a significantly positive effect on the SG, whereas CCPL had no significant direct effect. In addition, the FS, RD and JR significantly mediated the relationship between the internal and external environment of the institution and the willing of medical personnel to seek employment at PMHCIs. The values of fit index indicated an acceptable-fitting model.Conclusion: Family, remuneration, individual development, and job responsibility are closely related with the willingness of medical personnel to seek employment at PMHCIs, and the internal and external environment of PMHCIs is also an important factor. Based on this, targeted measures can be proposed to promote the development of PHC providers.