Abstract
IntroductionThere have been significant improvements in health outcomes in Tibet, health disparities between Tibet and the rest of China has been greatly reduced. This paper tests whether there was a positive association between good primary care and better health outcomes in Tibet.MethodA validated Tibetan version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT-T) was used to collect data on 1386 patients aged over 18 years old accessing primary care. Self-rated health (SRH) was employed to measure health outcomes. A multiple binary logistic regression model was used to explore the association between primary care quality and self-rated health status after controlling for socio-demographic and lifestyle variables.ResultsThis study found that primary care quality had a significant positive association with self-rated health status. Among the nine domains of PCAT-T, family centeredness domain had the highest Odds Ratio (OR = 1.013) with SRH. Patients located in rural area, with higher education levels, without depression, and less frequent drinking were more likely to self-rate as “good health” compared with the reference group.ConclusionsIn Tibet, higher quality primary care was associated with better self-rated health status. Primary care should be much strengthened in future health system reform in Tibet.
Highlights
There have been significant improvements in health outcomes in Tibet, health disparities between Tibet and the rest of China has been greatly reduced
This study found that primary care quality had a significant positive association with self-rated health status
This study examined the association between patient perceived primary care quality and self-rated health status in an autonomous region in China
Summary
There have been significant improvements in health outcomes in Tibet, health disparities between Tibet and the rest of China has been greatly reduced. This paper tests whether there was a positive association between good primary care and better health outcomes in Tibet. The positive relationship between good quality primary health care and beneficial health outcomes has been wellestablished. Good primary care can reduce racial, ethnic, and income inequality-led health disparities. This relationship is pronounced for the racial and ethnic minorities living at or below poverty level, and good primary care quality was especially beneficial in areas with highest income inequality [12, 13]. The population is predominantly rural; the percentage of urban population is 23.7 % [14]
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