Health information technology in mainland China: I. Development and review

Abstract

In mainland China, Health Information Technology (HIT) is usually considered a practical combination of informatics and automation for medical care. In practice, HIT has been gradually integrated into daily affairs in most hospitals in China over the past decades. In this work, based on 2016–2021 panel data collected from a nationwide online survey and public yearbook data, an overview of the HIT development in mainland China hospitals is portrayed, demonstrating the features of such a centralized system. The HIT construction network demonstrates the mechanisms and effectiveness of informatization construction in China from 3 levels. First, the top‐level institutional design is established as a driving force which can be represented by the degree increase in the HIT construction network. Second, Grade III hospitals (with abundant medical resources) play a central role in the construction of HIT, exerting a significant correlated development on Grade II hospitals (with fewer medical resources than Grade III hospitals). Third, central and eastern regions display significant impacts on western regions, which is consistent with the policy support by Chinese development. The development of HIT in China shows its positive impacts on hospital efficiency but there are still shortcomings and challenges to address in the near future.