This Round Table discussion explores China's innovative solution to hospital bed shortages: a shared bed system in hospitals. Although China has a relatively high number of hospital beds per capita compared to some developed countries like the US, the distribution is uneven, leading to overcrowding in leading hospitals. The shared bed system facilitates bed sharing among different departments, enhancing efficiency and reducing wait times. However, the panelists highlight several challenges, including unequal resource distribution across regions and hospitals, limited post-surgical rehabilitation services, and logistical issues in coordinating care between departments. Ultimately, addressing these challenges requires not just efficient bed sharing within hospitals but also improvements to the overall healthcare system, such as building trust in lower-level facilities and developing a strong referral network.
