Key Drivers of University Hospital Development in China: A Public Value Theory Perspective

Over the last two decades, governance for global health has garnered more attention from policymakers, decision-makers, and scholars from several disciplines. Internationally, health quality is widely regarded as an important indicator of a country’s level of social and economic advancement. In the last 40 years, China’s healthcare system has come a long way since it was established. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, the country’s annual health spending would rise by an average of 11.8%, while this represents a lower percentage of GDP (5.6%) than in most affluent countries. Public criticism of the unbalanced development of medical and healthcare services, the pursuit of medical quality and level, and the expectation of medical fairness and efficiency are also increasing step by step. Therefore, this study conducted a strategic triangle as an analytical framework to identify and analyse the key factors influencing the development of university hospitals in China. Five university hospitals designated as "Grade A tertiary hospitals” were used as examples to analyse strategic management techniques in medical complex systems. A qualitative approach was adopted by semi-interviews conducted with 33 participants including experts, university hospitals leadership level, and basic level. The results revealed that understanding these factors is crucial for improving healthcare performance and achieving sustainable development within the global health landscape.