Campaign to root out bad behaviors in hospital system

China's top health authority has launched a yearlong campaign aimed at improving the quality of healthcare provided to patients, with a focus on issues such as inadequate risk management, instances of denied admission and privacy breaches.

The campaign, which began this month and will run through the end of May next year, will target all hospitals and public health institutions at the top two tiers of the country's three-level hospital system, according to a notice issued last week by the National Health Commission and two other government departments.

Authorities said the initiative will address practices such as denying admission to patients, delaying emergency care for those in critical condition, and failure to conduct ward rounds as scheduled or implement proper surgical management.

The notice also said the campaign will crack down on instances of falsifying or tampering with medical records, and on issuing diagnostic reports without directly attending to patients.

Health institutions' ability to control hospital-acquired infections will be a key focus, including violations of aseptic procedures, improper use of disposable equipment and failure to report outbreaks to higher authorities.

To better safeguard the privacy of patients, the campaign will address violations such as the unauthorized retention, photography and copying or sharing of medical records or imaging data, as well as neglecting regular internal reviews. Authorities also pledged tighter oversight of electronic medical record systems to prevent unauthorized access to patient information.

Additional efforts will be made to improve training and management related to medical ethics and professionalism, including the poor handling of whistleblower reports and patient complaints.

Authorities said typical violations uncovered during the campaign will be made public at its conclusion as a warning to other institutions.