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Traditionally, Chinese families have been the primary provider of care for older adults, and older people expected family care. However, along with the modernization and demographic transition, family functions have been weakened, and state-based care has begun to play an essential role in supporting family care for older people. This paper aims to assess the care preferences of older people and the different responsibilities of individuals and communities in modern China. Using data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) and multinomial logistic regression modeling, we find that family care remains the cornerstone for older adults and their care preferences are associated with individual and community factors, mainly including the number of children, education level, residential area, the presence of health infrastructure and care facilities, and the values associated with filial piety of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Despite increasing research attention on public trust in health care systems, empirical evidence on this topic in the developing world is limited and inconclusive. This paper examines the level and determinants of public trust in the health care system in China. Methods We used data from a survey conducted with a sample of 5347 adults in all Chinese provincial areas between January and February 2016. Trust in the health care system was assessed with a question used by the 2011–2013 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) to assess public trust in the health care systems of 29 industrialized countries and regions ('In general, how much confidence do you have in the health care system in your country?'). Results Only 28% of respondents reported that they had a great deal or complete trust in China's health care system. Respondents who reported to have more trust in other people in society, more trust in the local government and who were more satisfied with their most recent health care system experience and their health insurance were significantly more likely to trust the country's health care system. Furthermore, respondents who reported a higher level of happiness, better health status and positive attitudes towards social equity were more likely to trust the health care system in China. Conclusions Our findings suggest that low public trust in China's health care system is a potential problem. Improving health care experiences may be the most practical and effective way of improving trust in the health care system in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mental illness is a major contributor to disease burden in China. Guangdong province has a population of over 104 million. This province's health information system is inadequate, especially the mental health workforce and service response. This paper describes a field survey to assess the existing mental health workforce and service capacity in Guangdong.Method: A total of 125 major service providers in Guangdong were identified with the capacity to treat serious mental illness at all levels of the health system. These services were approached to complete a standardised survey based on the WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems.Results: The survey identified 8498 mental health workers with 72.5% working in psychiatric hospitals. Service providers reported a treatment rate of 68.8% of a total of 430,000 people registered for treatment of severe mental illness, and only 28.4% of over a million people estimated to be experiencing severe mental illness. An inadequate mental health workforce was cited as a common barrier to treatment access.Conclusion: Guangdong province has a significant treatment gap for severe mental illness and a shortage in the mental health workforce. The distribution of the mental health workforce and facilities is imbalanced towards hospital care rather than community care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many randomized controlled trials relating to stroke rehabilitation being carried out in China, which are often published in Chinese-language journals. A recent update to our Cochrane systematic review of physical rehabilitation to improve function and mobility after stroke included 96 trials; over half (51) were conducted in China; 37 of these included studies were published in Chinese. Analyses within this Cochrane review support the conclusion that physical rehabilitation, using a mix of components from different approaches, is effective for the recovery of function and mobility after stroke. The inclusion of the Chinese studies had a substantial impact on the volume of evidence and, consequently, the conclusions. In this paper, we explore whether it is appropriate to draw implications for clinical practice throughout the world from evidence relating to a complex rehabilitation intervention delivered within one particular geographical healthcare setting. We explore the unique challenges associated with incorporating the body of evidence from China, particularly the Chinese-language publications, and identify the ongoing debate about the quality of Chinese research publications. We conclude that the growing body of evidence from China has important implications for future systematic reviews and evidence-based stroke care, but analysis and interpretation raise challenges, and improved reporting is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]