An analysis of the current educational status and future training needs of China's rural doctors in 2011

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the educational status and future training needs of China's rural doctors and provide a basis to improve their future training. METHODS: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was used for the analysis, and 17 954 rural doctors chosen randomly from the eastern, central and western regions of China in 2009-2010 were surveyed to ascertain their average training time and the methods used for and content of their training. RESULTS: In general, 8671/17 778 (48.77%) of respondents received less than 12 days of training in a year. Conference sessions seemed to be the major route of training, with 10 150/17 925 respondents (56.62%). Clinical skills, with a response rate of 14 441/17 926 (80.56%), seemed to be the most popular training content. With regard to the general needs for training time received, 6547/18 255 (35.86%) of respondents hoped the average training time received a year would be less than 12 days; on-site guidance from a senior doctor was the most popular training method with response rate of 10 109/17 976 (56.24%), and clinical skills was what rural doctors wished to study the most, with a positive response of 16 744/17 962 (93.22%). Statistically significant differences existed in the current status and training time, training method and training content needs of China's rural doctors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the training status and needs of China's rural doctors are still disjointed; measures including the introduction of remote education and clinical further education, extended training time and more clinical skills training should be adopted.