People-centered Primary Care Measures (PCPCM) and health equity: a perspective of urban-rural comparison in Beijing, China

Abstract Background: Person-centered primary care measures (PCPCM) facilitate high-quality and culturally appropriate primary care. Access to PCPCM remains unequal between rural and urban areas, and the available evidence on rural PCPCM is still lacking. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with stratified sampling by regions, and four districts (Xicheng, Fengtai, Huairou, and Daxing) in Beijing were selected to test the performance of PCPCM in both urban and rural areas. Descriptive statistical methods were used to compare the urban-rural differences in the demographic characteristics of PCPCM. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between PCPCM in demographics and utilization of primary care. Results: The PCPCM showed good reliability and validity in both urban and rural areas (P< 0.001), slightly lower in rural areas, but scores of rural PCPCM (R-PCPCM) in all items were lower than urban PCPCM (U-PCPCM). The PCPCM score for preferring CHCs (U-PCPCM=3.31) or RHCs (R-PCPCM=3.10) was the highest. Patients in urban areas were more likely to receive higher-quality primary care than in rural areas (P < 0.001). Patients who preferred hospitals (β=2.61, p<0.001) or CHCs (β=0.71, p=0.003) as providers was a significant positive predictor of U-PCPCM, but it was the preference for hospitals (β=2.95, p<0.001) for R-PCPCM. Conclusions: Urban-rural differences existed in the performance of PCPCM, with rural areas typically more difficult to access better PCPCM. To promote health equity in rural areas, healthcare providers should strive to minimize urban-rural differences in the quality and utilization of primary care services as much as feasible.