Functional Positioning and Development Priorities of Township General Practice Medicine in the Primary Healthcare System

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the continuous advancement of the hierarchical medical system, the in-depth implementation of the Healthy China strategy, and the acceleration of population aging, township general practice medicine has gradually shifted from a reserve force for the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases at the primary level to an important carrier linking basic medical care, public health services, and continuous health management. From the perspective of primary healthcare governance, this paper reviews the background of the formation and functional evolution of township general practice medicine, and analyzes its practical roles in first-contact care, chronic disease follow-up, health management for key populations, bidirectional referral coordination, and the integration of medical treatment and prevention. Based on current practice, it further points out that its development is still constrained by such factors as insufficient talent training and job attractiveness, mismatches between service capacity and residents’ needs, inadequate assessment and incentive mechanisms, and weak information connectivity and data sharing. On this basis, this paper argues that the development of township general practice medicine should not be limited to expanding personnel and service coverage, but should be systematically promoted in terms of improving post competency, optimizing continuity of care, strengthening county-level collaboration, and enhancing institutional and digital empowerment, so as to improve the quality and accessibility of primary healthcare services and better support the implementation of hierarchical diagnosis and treatment as well as the realization of national health goals.