Ticket touts in Chinese hospitals driving up patient costs

 01-Jun-17, The BMJ Opinion 

Appointment ticket touts are prevalent in the medical system in China, especially in big hospitals. They monopolize appointments for well-known doctors and increase prices, causing many disputes and harming the doctor-patient relationship.

Image: Daily Mail

There is also no established family practice or dual referral system in China. As a result, patients flock to large hospitals in big cities to access better medical services, leading to high demand and overcrowding. Because of the mismatch between supply and demand for high-quality medical services, ticket touts have managed to gain control of appointment tickets.

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