Spatial Planning And Allocating Of Health And Medical Information Resources In China

The 19 th CPC National Congress has defined “Healthy China” as a national development strategy.Health and medical information resources are fundamental infrastructural resources.Gathering resources and applying it in innovation and development confirms with the new development concepts.And it is providing new momentum and energy for development of the national economy,and technical support for achieving the Healthy China goals.Theories and practices on planning and allocating health information resources are focus of policy-making and scientific investigations.The Chinese people are expecting quality and well-balanced care for a quality life.However,with extreme asymmetry of health and medical resources,and conflicts between unmet health need of the people and inadequate and unregulated supply,there is an urgent need to conduct theoretical and empirical research on spatial clustering pattern of health and medical information,driving for growth pole,promoting innovation and spatial diffuse,allocating resources by applying unique theories of regional economics.The study attempts to shed lights on research on special allocation of health and medical information resources in China.This will help to address issues of resource scarcity,asymmetry,and public externality.What’s more,it can contribute to achieving the Healthy China goals by optimizing regional resources,enhancing efficiency,promoting innovation,and facilitating transition from disease-centered care to health promotion-centered care.The paper systematically reviews basic concepts,relevant theories,and current situations and issues in China.It summarizes policies and studies of all aspects,proposes innovatively concepts and definition of broad term for health and medical information resources.The health and medical information resources quoted in this paper is composed of three essences,namely,information generators,information and information technologies,including information producers,processors,re-producers of information clustering and use,information service and products(achievements by information producers),health information technology.In a long time,all key innovative essence in health market will concentrate on allocation and effective use of information resources.On this basis,the paper further analyzes current status quo of health and medical information resources in the country,studies spatial heterogeneity and main issues with health information resources,and constructs indicators system for measuring health information resources in China.Based on research and summary on the Chinese studies on measurement of informatization,the paper uses porat’s method to estimate the health information resource level in China between 2005-2015.First,it differentiates the first and second information sector in the health market,and estimates market values;secondly,it calculates ratios of values of two sectors on the total health expenditures,and adds them up to get the measure for the Chinese health information resource level;thirdly,it uses coordination analysis model to analyze coordination between the health informatization and socio-economic development.Moreover,the paper uses aggregation measure to make empirical analysis of clustering and development of the Chinese health information industry.The main steps include: use industry aggregation measure to measure the information industry,and to conduct in-depth analysis of clustering and development;use exploratory spatial analytic method in assessing industry concentration and development spaces,to analyze development modes of health information industry,and to explore and summarize spatial evolution of clustering and development of the Chinese health and medical information industry.In addition to the theoretic study and empirical analysis,the paper reviews experiences and lessens of developing health information resources in the developed countries,and proposes strategy and recommendations for future clustering,application and development of the Chinese health information resources.Main measures include the followings: optimize combination of health information generators,informatics,information technologies,promote gradual upgrading of health information resources innovation and development—from basic health information(including digital health records and electronic patient information)merged health information resources(the increase of market value driven by the information resources in the conventional health market)efficient health information resources(increase of output related to the improved efficiency of production essentials supported by the new information technology)emerging health information resources(new technologies,new products,new operational forms driven by the development of information technology)welfare health information resources(residuals and health welfare achieved through diffusion of new emerging information technologies and reduction of costs,and increasing marginal benefits).This will inspire and support the development of new mode of population health delivery,enhance quality and efficiency of health resource allocation,increase supply of effective resources,continuously provide momentum to deepening of the current health reforms,cultivate new driving forces for the health market growth,increasingly enlarge the “data assets” for population health,increase shared welfare,and innovate “public domains” of the health sector.