Can social capital play a role in contracting services of family doctors in China? Reflections based on an integrative review

Abstract

Background The family doctors’ contract service problem is not about government management alone, but an interaction of a complex social environment. Consequently, the effect of contracted services of family doctors not only depends on policy incentives but also needs to win the participation, acknowledgement, and confidence of community residents. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine whether there is any significant evidence that social capital in the form of social networking groups and other forms of social groups have any positive impact on the acceptance and the effectiveness of family doctors' contractual services. Method Research on qualitative, quantitative and hybrid methods published in peer-reviewed journals on the social capital role in the process of contract service of family doctors were eligible for inclusion. In view of the increasing attention paid to the contract service effect of family doctors during this period, a 10-year time scale was selected to ensure full coverage of relevant literature in the same period. In total, 809 articles were determined in the database retrieval results which were downloaded and transferred to the Mendeley reference application software. Results Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria for this integrative review and the quality of the included studies were assessed using the published criteria for the critical appraisal of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Majority of the articles assessed reported that there was evidence of a positive link between social support, especially a sense of belonging and the presence of regular family doctors. The influencing factors of patients' contract behavior of studies conducted in China were social interaction of social capital, acceptance of the first contact in the community, year of investigation, and exposure to the public. Conclusion The study affirms previous studies that suggest that social resources have the propensity to improve relationship between patients and clients and between doctors and peers for the benefit of the patients and the stability of the overall healthcare system. Through the integration of various social resources family doctor systems accelerate the development of community construction. These social capital (social network groups) can guide residents to use family doctor services to maintain health. Social capital can also help residents have a regular and reliable family doctor.

A spatial feature analysis of primary health care utilization in a large city in China and its implications for family doctor contract service policy

“…One study criticized two-way referrals for transferring patients only from community health centers to hospitals but not from hospitals to community health centers. There has not been enough focus on increasing the attractiveness of community health centers, and there is an urgent need for a convenient and effective referral system [ 23 , 29 , 30 ]. It is also necessary to increase the motivation of secondary and tertiary hospitals to admit patients from community health centers.…”

Factors related to the internal social capital of elderly-caring social organizations: a cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China

“…The participation of social organizations in the elderly care services has become an important supplement to the elderly care system in China, bridging the shortcomings of public elderly-care and home-based care in providing adequate and high-quality elderly care services [ 4 ]. De Montigny JG pointed out in a study that multi-sector collaboration, specifically the cooperation between the government and social organizations, can enhance the quality and efficiency of social services to a certain extent, especially in the field of healthcare for older adults [ 5 , 6 ]. Previous studies had shown that organizations and communities with higher social capital were more efficient, creative and could provide better services than organizations with lower social capital [ 7 ].…”

What factors affect Beijing residents’ contracts with family doctors? A comparative study of Beijing’s urban and suburban areas

“…The present study analyzed the factors that affect residents’ contracts with FDs from both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Yuan et al and Xu et al used qualitative research to show that the effect of implementing relevant policies, the government’s support for FDCSs and social capital affect residents’ contracts with FDs ( 18 , 19 ). Other studies have used quantitative methods and found that the reimbursement rate of medical insurance, the medical level of CHCs, the chronic disease management needs of residents, satisfaction with FDs and awareness of FDCS policies are the factors that affect residents’ contracts with FDs ( 20–24 ).…”