Paper Title
Medical Staff’s Cognition and Evaluation of Social Attribute of Public Hospitals — Based on A Cross-Sectional Study in Shanghai, China

Abstract
Objectives: The social attribute of public hospitals in China is not completely realized. Medical staff’s cognition and evaluation of social attribute determines their behaviors and the social attribute of public hospitals. This study aims to understand medical staff’s cognition and evaluation of social attribute of public hospitals combined with their socio-economic characteristics and workloads. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were given out to medical staff in 13 public hospitals of Shanghai, with the valid response rate of 80.85% (705/872). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and ordinal stepwise logistic regression analysis were employed. Results: Medical staff made a moderate evaluation on public welfare of public hospitals. Medical staff made a worse evaluation on public welfare if they considered the equity, availability, treatment effects, and medical expenses unreasonable. However, the result of privacy protection showed a contrary effect. Conclusions: Medical staff’s evaluation on social attribute of public hospitals was mainly influenced by their evaluations on equity and availability, medical expenses, and medical experience of patients. To maintain and promote public welfare of public hospitals, it should promote the labor values of medical staff, narrow the gap of resources and capability among different levels of public hospitals, increase investments to under-developed institutions in remote and rural areas, decrease medical expenses, improve the doctor-patient relationship, and strengthen the consciousness of protecting patients’ privacy. Key words- public hospital; health reform; medical staff.