Understanding care in China
Short guides to how the Chinese health system actually works: where patients go and why, what the national rankings do and do not say, and how this site decides which hospitals it lists.
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Why most patients in China go to public hospitals
Public hospitals are fewer in number than private ones in China, yet they carry most of the country’s inpatient care. The national figures show how that works, and what it means for a patient arriving from abroad.
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Private hospitals in China: what they are, and what they are not
Private hospitals are the larger group by number in China and the smaller one by activity. Reading the two facts together avoids a common assumption – that a private hospital is automatically newer, easier to use or better equipped than a public one.
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How to read the Fudan hospital rankings
The Fudan rankings are probably the best-known hospital list in China, and they are easy to misread. This guide explains who publishes them, how a place is produced, and what a place does and does not mean.
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How this site evaluates hospitals
This site publishes a directory of hospitals, and it tries to be clear about why a hospital is in it. The rule is simple: a hospital is listed when an independent, published listing backs it.
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Seeing a doctor and being admitted in China: what a foreign patient should expect
This guide describes the ordinary path through a Chinese hospital – registering, being seen, having tests and being admitted – so that a first visit is easier to follow. It describes the process only.