Medical services are the basic public needs of citizens. With a large population, China is faced with prominent contradiction between the supply and demand of medical services, and the incidents of doctor-patient disputes happen frequently. In recent years, with economic and social development and the deepening of reform, the medical expenses of Chinese residents are rising rapidly, and the topics such as “difficult access to quality medical services” and “expensive medical bills” are increasingly discussed at all levels of society. Meanwhile, violent attacks on medical workers frequently occur, constantly stimulating our sensitive nerves. Almost every time in the accident, the society will pay attention to the “scars” of the doctor-patient disputes. According to statistics from the relevant departments, there were 10,248 recorded medical disputes in China in 2006, and a total of 20,833 cases concerning liability of medical damages had been concluded in court all over the country by 2016. The causes for the strained doctor-patient relationship are complex, including the problems of doctors and patients themselves and the disadvantages of China's medical system. The increasingly “unhealthy” doctor-patient relationship has not only seriously affected the medical service market but has also become a hidden concern to social harmony. A healthy medical environment, a perfect diagnosis and treatment system, and a sound security system have become the common pursuit of doctors and patients. In order to effectively alleviate the problem of “expensive medical bills and difficult access to quality medical services” and provide safe, effective, convenient and cheap medical and health services for the people, the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Deepening the Reform of the Medical and Health Care System was released on March 17, 2009. Although some achievements have been made since the implementation of the new medical reform, there are still plenty of problems in China’s medical industry and frequent disputes between doctors and patients. Although medical reform is a worldwide issue, Chinese medical reform has its unique characteristics. This week, Professor Liu Zhibiao, Dean of Yangtze IDEI, invited Chen Weixian, Director of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, and Professor Gao Chuanxiong of Nanjing University to participate in discussions with relevant experts and scholars on the topic “Views on Medical Reform Direction from Doctor-patient Disputes”.
