Skip to main content
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1985 Jul;75(7):768–770. doi: 10.2105/ajph.75.7.768

The barefoot doctor: Shanghai County revisited.

J P Koplan, A R Hinman, R L Parker, Y L Gong, M D Yang
PMCID: PMC1646317  PMID: 4003652

Abstract

Since a 1981 review of health status and health services in Shanghai County, there have been considerable social and economic changes in the People's Republic of China. A major question currently is the impact of the new economic "responsibility system," which was introduced in 1982, on the cooperative health structure and the "barefoot doctors" (BFDs). Investigators in other areas of China have reported the collapse of the cooperative systems and a shift in the role of the BFDs as a result of incentives for them to spend more time in agricultural production. In Shanghai County, however, BFDs continue essentially full time as before, salaried by the brigade, with fee-for-service charges prohibited. Recent evidence from Shanghai County shows that the health care system and those who direct it can remain flexible and respond positively to changes in the social, economic, and political structures.

Full text

PDF
768

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Gong Y. L., Chao L. M. The role of barefoot doctors. Am J Public Health. 1982 Sep;72(9 Suppl):59–61. doi: 10.2105/ajph.72.9_suppl.59. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Gu X. Y., Chen M. L. Health services in Shanghai County; vital statistics. Am J Public Health. 1982 Sep;72(9 Suppl):19–23. doi: 10.2105/ajph.72.9_suppl.19. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hsiao W. C. Transformation of health care in China. N Engl J Med. 1984 Apr 5;310(14):932–936. doi: 10.1056/nejm198404053101428. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Orient J. M. A critique of western medical commentary on the People's Republic of China. Arch Intern Med. 1984 Jan;144(1):106–109. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Sidel V. W. Medical care in China: equity vs modernization. Am J Public Health. 1982 Nov;72(11):1224–1226. doi: 10.2105/ajph.72.11.1224. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES