On September 28, Lancet published in its Comment section an article titled Bridging the GP gap: nurse practitioners in China (Lancet 2019; 394: 1125-1127. See full article at http://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32209-3) by President Zhan Qimin of Peking University Health Science Center (PUHSC). This article reviewed both the progress and the issues in the training of general practitioners, an effort introduced by the healthcare reform in the last decade to rebalance the short-handed primary care system. To address the shortage of GPs, the article pointed to a pilot program at the PUHSC that aimed at producing nurse practitioners. This was the first article on this topic that had appeared on top international journals, and the coauthors included Dean Shang Shaomei of PUHSC School of Nursing, Director Li Wenkai of China Medical Board (CMB) Beijing Office, and the CMB President Lincoln Chen.

　　According to the article, in the Healthy China 2030 and Healthy China Action Plan, healthcare services were to be optimized and incentives put in place to tilt policy, fund and training toward GPs. The article said outcome from the pilot program at PUHSC would inform policy making in this regard.

　　Written by: Fan Xiaofei

　　Edited by: Liu Xin

　　Source: PUHSC School of Nursing