Research productivity of primary care and general practice scientific papers in China in 2021

Abstract

BackgroundWith the deepening of healthcare reform in China, research in primary care and general practice has rapidly developed in recent years, leading to a significant increase in the number of published papers. ObjectiveTo summarize and analyze the scientific papers published in the field of primary care and general practice in China in 2021, and to explore their characteristics in terms of publication volume, journals, regions, institutions, research categories, research methods, and number of authors. MethodsThis study employed a scoping review method and bibliometric techniques to systematically retrieve and quantitatively analyze scientific papers in the field of primary care and general practice published in 2021 by Chinese research institutions. The databases used for this study included CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science. ResultsIn 2021, a total of 3,122 original research papers were published in the field of primary care and general practice in China. The number of paper published in primary care facilities accounted for 57.69 %, with most papers authored by single authors. Among these facilities, those located in eastern China contributed 80.12 % of the publications. The main research categories were clinical researches (58.23 %) and health services researches (27.07 %). Co-occurrence analysis of keywords using VOSviewer indicated that research topics focused on “chronic disease management” and “family doctors contracted services.” The predominant research methods were randomized controlled trials (40.87 %) and cross-sectional studies (36.71 %). The majority of these papers were published in non-core and non-SCI/SSCI journals (76.75 %), with only 6.98 % published in SCI/SSCI journals. ConclusionThe productivity level in the field of primary care and general practice in China has now reached a globally leading position, with primary care facilities in the eastern regions making significant contributions. The research topics are closely aligned with institutional practices and health policies in China. However, there are still several challenges in this field, such as a lack of collaboration among researchers in primary care facilities, potential quality concerns due to the extensive use of randomized controlled trial methods, and low recognition of Chinese research in this field by international SCI/SSCI journals.