Medical-elderly care integrated institutions managers' perspectives in China on the operational issues of their facilities: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background In China, institutions that medical-elderly care integrated have mushroomed due to the aging population of the nation. Nonetheless, the perspectives of managers at medical-elderly care integrated institutions regarding operational matters are still not fully defined. The aim of this study is to investigate the viewpoints of managers working in medical-elderly care integrated facilities in China concerning the problems and difficulties they encounter on a daily basis. Methods In this paper, the interpretive phenomenological analysis method of qualitative study was used to initiate; face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with managers of 29 medical-elderly care integrated institutions in seven cities in Gansu Province applying the semi-structured interview method. Results A total of four main themes were found: (1) Low quality of healthcare services; (2) Scarce workforce of healthcare professionals; (3) Inadequate guarantee of healthcare resources; and (4) Future operation plan and recommendations. Conclusions This study demonstrates the range of difficulties encountered by medical-elderly care integrated institutions in their operations, including poor service delivery, a talent deficit, and inadequate funding. A thorough management and oversight system must be constructed to keep an eye on how institutions are run and guarantee the caliber of services they offer. In addition to increasing financial and policy assistance, the government need to to assume greater accountability for overseeing the administration and operation of medical-elderly care integrated institutions. The problem of population aging and the growth of the elderly care industry demand the contributions and efforts of society as a whole, as does the functioning of medical-elderly care integrated institutions, which require the participation of multiple social forces.