Supply and utilization of traditional Chinese medicine services in the nine Pearl River Delta cities in the Greater Bay Area

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the present situation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) service supply and utilization in 9 cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China and provide the specific suggestions for further rational allocation of TCM service resources in the 9 cities in PRD region. Methods: Excel was used to conduct a descriptive statistical analysis of the main indicators of TCM service supply and utilization from 2010 to 2019. Results: In 2019, there were 100 TCM hospitals in the nine cities of the Pearl River Delta in the Greater Bay Area, with the number (0.155) of TCM hospitals for every 100,000 people; and the numbers (0.97 in Zhuhai and 0.19 in Dongguan) of TCM hospital beds for every 1,000 people. The utilization rate of TCM hospital beds was the highest in Zhongshan (93.3%), and the lowest in Huizhou (71.9%) for 10 consecutive years. The city with the highest average daily medical visits was Foshan (4051.2). Conclusion: In Shenzhen and Zhuhai, the input of TCM service personnel and materials is large but the utilization rate is low. The supply of TCM services in Dongguan is insufficient, and there is a huge gap between the demand and the supply. Thus, it is necessary to rationally allocate TCM medical resources, increase the supply of TCM services in some areas, and improve the utilization efficiency of TCM resources.