Developing challenges in the urbanisation of village doctors in economically developed regions: A survey of 844 village doctors in Changzhou, China.

Objective: To reveal the challenges of village doctors' survival and training in economically developed areas in eastern China. Design: A field survey was used to assess the challenges of village doctors. Setting: The study was conducted in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, which is an economically developed region in eastern China. Participants: The participants included 844 village doctors, 15 township hospital staff members and 6 health bureau leaders. Results: The main challenges in Changzhou include an insufficient amount of village doctors, difficulties in obtaining professional qualification for village doctors, low salaries and benefits, and difficulties in recruitment. Conclusion: With increasing urbanisation in China, the gap between actual and expected income and social security has been increasing. Changes to training have influenced the stability of village doctor teams. Declining attachment of young people to their hometown village has contributed to recruitment difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]