How to Compare Hospitals for Your Needs
If you are arranging tests, treatment, or follow-up care in mainland China, first identify what you need to address. Then compare whether providers can accept you, deliver the services you need, and take responsibility for follow-up care. This guide mainly helps patients with non-emergency needs prepare to choose a provider and book an appointment.
Key Points
- For severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, suspected stroke, serious injury, heavy bleeding, or similar emergencies, seek local emergency help immediately. In mainland China, call 120 and give your exact location and symptoms.[1] Do not wait for a routine outpatient visit or an overseas appointment.
- If your symptoms are stable, you can first ask a community health service center about common health problems, chronic condition monitoring, or prescription refills. For specialist tests, hospital admission, or complex treatment, ask a hospital with the relevant capabilities. Confirm services and acceptance requirements with each provider.
- General hospitals, specialist hospitals, and specialist centers within general hospitals may all be options. Ask your doctor which teams and support services you need, then check where they are available and who coordinates them.
- Receipt of your records, completion of an initial assessment, a confirmed outpatient appointment, and agreement to provide treatment are different stages. Before traveling, confirm the current stage, costs, and arrangements for taking over your care.
Which Type of Provider Should I Contact First?
| What you need | Where you can start | What to clarify first |
|---|---|---|
| Common symptoms that are not an emergency, monitoring of a stable chronic condition, or prescription refills | Ask a community health service center near where you are staying | Whether it accepts your identification, can assess your concern, and offers the tests or medicines you need |
| A known need for a specialist outpatient visit, tests, or hospital admission | Ask a secondary or tertiary hospital that provides the relevant services | The specific department and campus, waiting times, and whether an assessment or referral is required first |
| A complex condition, review of a treatment plan, or possible surgery involving several specialties | Ask a hospital with the relevant teams and supporting services; a tertiary hospital may be one option | Whether the team can assess you, where the required tests and support are provided, and when you can be seen |
| Follow-up tests, rehabilitation, or long-term medicines after treatment | Discuss with your original care team which tasks can be completed nearby or after you return home | Whether the receiving provider agrees to take over, whether the required tests and medicines are available, and who tracks results |
What Should I Ask Primary Care Providers and Tertiary Hospitals?
Primary care providers, such as community health service centers and township health centers, provide basic medical care, care for common illnesses, and health management. For people whose condition is stable and who need repeated measurements or medication reviews, ongoing care nearby may make it easier for a doctor to compare records and monitor changes. Whether a center can refill or change prescriptions, provide wound care, or offer rehabilitation depends on its doctors, services, and medicines. If you need more complex tests or a specialist assessment, ask a doctor to assess your needs and help find a suitable receiving provider.[4]
Under national policy, tertiary hospitals focus on critical illness and difficult, complex conditions, and also provide specialist services.[5] If you need a complex pathology or imaging review, surgery, or care involving several specialties, you can ask a hospital with the relevant capabilities; a tertiary hospital may be an option. This does not guarantee that it offers every technique or can see you immediately. Even if you receive treatment at a tertiary hospital, your original team can assess whether later monitoring or rehabilitation can be handed over to a provider able to take over. For severe symptoms, seek emergency care nearby first; do not delay care to reach a hospital of a particular level.
The table is a starting point for asking questions, not a rule for choosing your own level of care based on a disease name. If your condition is changing quickly, you have underlying conditions, or you are unsure whether you can wait, contact a doctor promptly. Seek emergency help promptly for severe symptoms, suspected critical illness, or rapid deterioration. Actual services vary by provider. Ask the community center directly whether it can provide vaccinations, injections, wound care, or rehabilitation.
How Do General and Specialist Hospitals Compare?
General hospitals usually cover several clinical fields. Specialist hospitals focus on a particular group of diseases, organ, or patient population. General hospitals may also have specialist centers. When choosing, ask your current doctor to help list your main health problem, coexisting conditions, and the departments that may need to be involved. If your diagnosis is unclear, provide your symptoms and existing test results, and ask a doctor or the hospital’s patient guidance service which department to visit first.
If your main concern involves a particular disease or patient group, a specialist hospital may offer a more concentrated specialist team and coordinated testing and nursing care. For example, when asking about cancer treatment, you can ask whether pathology review, treatment, and follow-up can be coordinated. If several diseases or organs are involved, a general hospital may offer options for assessment across departments. However, “general” does not mean that every department or support service you need is available on the same campus at all times. A specialist center within a general hospital may combine focused disease assessment with cooperation across other departments. In all three settings, check the actual teams, availability, and coordination within and outside the hospital.
For example, a patient seeking cancer treatment who also has heart disease can ask whether cardiology, anesthesiology, or other departments need to be involved. Doctors determine which departments are needed based on the patient’s condition. For children, people needing rehabilitation, or those who need specific equipment, also confirm whether the hospital accepts that patient group and can provide the required services.
Send the same questions to the hospitals you are considering, and record their replies and any unresolved arrangements:
| What to compare | What to ask the hospital |
|---|---|
| Main health problem and team in charge | Which campus, department, and doctor will see me for the first visit? Who brings the opinions together, checks medicines prescribed by different departments, and explains the next steps? If surgery is involved, who is responsible for decisions before surgery? Who is responsible at night, on weekends, or when the doctor is not at the hospital? |
| Required departments and support | Which other departments does the doctor consider necessary? Will I need support such as anesthesia, intensive care, blood products, dialysis, interventional procedures, infection management, or rehabilitation? Where are these provided? |
| Testing and treatment arrangements | Who assesses or reviews imaging, pathology, and other reports? Is the proposed treatment offered at this campus? Which steps are sent elsewhere or require a visit to another hospital? |
| Cooperation and arrangements between hospitals | If a consultation is needed, who requests it, which departments take part, when will feedback be available, and who explains the conclusions? If tests at another hospital or a hospital transfer are needed, who contacts the receiving provider, sends records, and arranges timing, and who pays? Which doctor assesses whether medical transport is appropriate? |
| Follow-up | Who provides treatment records and the discharge summary? Who tracks tests with pending results? Which parts of care can a local doctor take over after I return home? |
Having several departments, or saying “we have a multidisciplinary team,” does not mean that a joint consultation has been arranged for you. You can also ask whether the required departments can assess you separately and who will bring their opinions together. A doctor should judge whether the arrangements meet your clinical needs. A service being provided outside the hospital does not automatically rule that hospital out, but ask the doctor in charge whether care can be coordinated safely. If the receiving provider, timing, records, transport, or costs have not been settled, mark them as awaiting confirmation.
What Do Public, Private, and Grade III Class A Mean?
Public or non-public describes how an institution is established and run. Medical institutions established by non-government organizations or individuals may be for-profit or nonprofit; both must meet applicable licensing and medical quality requirements.[2] For either type, check with the specific hospital whether it has suitable doctors, supporting services, and language support, and what the costs are. A public hospital’s standard outpatient clinics, special medical services, and international medical services may charge differently. Compare the same appointment channel and scope of services.
“Grade III Class A” contains two pieces of information: “Grade III” is the hospital level, and “Class A” is its accreditation rating.[3] Hospital levels are related to the tiered care system through which patients receive care and referrals between different providers, but they are not the same concept. A community health service center and a primary hospital are also not synonymous: the former is a type of institution, and the latter is a hospital level. Levels and ratings cannot replace checks of a specific specialty, doctor, or campus, and cannot guarantee an individual treatment outcome.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary are hospital levels. A primary hospital may be a starting point for asking about basic care and follow-up. A secondary hospital may be an option to ask about specialist care for common illnesses, tests, hospital admission, or care during recovery. Under policy, tertiary hospitals focus on critical illness and difficult, complex conditions.[5][6] These descriptions help explain the service system; they do not mean that every hospital provides all the services listed. Even hospitals at the same level may differ in their specialties, equipment, and the patients they accept.
Accreditation assesses how well a hospital fulfills its assigned functions, including its service capacity, quality, and safety.[5] If you find a “Class A” rating, still check whether it is the current result published by the responsible authority and how it relates to the institution and campus you plan to visit. It does not show every doctor’s experience or predict your treatment outcome.
Using the hospital’s exact legal name in Chinese and its campus address, you can check its registration through the National Health Commission Medical Institution Practice Registration Search. The search page requires a verification code. If you cannot find the institution or the information differs from what the hospital says, ask the hospital for its licenses and verify them with the local health authority. You can also look up registration information through the National Health Commission Physician Practice Search Portal. You must verify the portal and the specific search results yourself; registration information cannot establish that the doctor will actually see you for this visit or demonstrate treatment effectiveness. For a hospital’s current level and accreditation rating, check the latest publicly available accreditation results from the local health authority, or confirm with the authority and hospital. Do not assume that the registration search necessarily displays ratings or that each campus is rated separately.
How Can I Check a Specialty and the Evidence a Hospital Provides?
First check the hospital’s legal name, specific campus, and registered clinical services. Then ask the hospital to confirm the relevant subspecialty, the team that will actually see you, and whether the services you need are offered at that campus. You can ask whether the team has handled similar problems, but no answer can guarantee your individual outcome.
A hospital’s reputation can be a starting point for finding options. Look for official specialty descriptions that can be traced to their source, clearly documented National Medical Center status, or specialty rankings that state their year. When reading rankings, check the specialty, year, and evaluation criteria. Consider the hospital’s overall reputation separately from experience in a particular specialty; this information cannot predict your individual treatment outcome. You can also find options in the Hospital Directory, then confirm current arrangements with each hospital.
For further comparisons of ownership, quality figures, or doctors’ clinical privileges, see Comparing Public and Non-public Providers, Hospital Quality Information, and Checking Hospitals and Doctors, respectively.
What Should I Confirm Before Booking and Traveling?
Tell the campus or department you plan to visit about your current diagnosis or symptoms, what you want to address, and how long you plan to stay. Confirm the following:
- Patient registration and acceptance: Can you register using a passport or other identification, and how should your name and identification number be entered? Do you need a referral letter? What records must you submit, and in what format?
- Appointment and treatment decisions: Have your records only been received, or has an initial assessment been completed? Is there a specific campus, department, date, and time? Will an in-person visit or additional tests still be needed before treatment can be decided? Ask the doctor to explain when the proposed treatment is appropriate, its risks and alternatives, and what other conditions must be met before deciding on treatment. Ask how many visits are expected and about waiting times. If the hospital cannot accept or treat you after assessment, ask what it will arrange next.
- Language and costs: Is support available in the language you need, how is interpreting arranged, and what does it cost? What are the charges for standard outpatient care and international medical services? What does the estimate include, what may cost extra, and what are the payment methods, deposit requirements, and cancellation or refund conditions? Where possible, compare two written estimates item by item for the same services. Ask which institution issues the medical records and receipts.
- Insurance and medicines: Give your insurer the institution, campus, service type, and estimate. Confirm coverage, prior authorization, whether the campus and doctor are in-network, direct billing or payment upfront, responsibility if a claim is denied, and exclusions. Then confirm billing arrangements with the hospital. Give the doctor your medicines’ generic names, doses, dosage forms, and original packaging information to check, and ask about local availability. Do not change or stop medicines on your own.
If someone promises a cure, refuses to identify the doctor who will see you, or requests a large payment to a personal account, pause and verify through the hospital’s official channels. If the names of the payment recipient, receipt issuer, and care provider differ, ask about each party’s role and keep a written explanation. Different names do not necessarily mean a rule has been broken.
If an institution cannot accept your identification, provide necessary language assistance, or offer the services you need, ask whether there is a workable alternative or another provider. Before booking tickets, also ask your current doctor to assess whether you are fit to travel. Receipt of your records or agreement to an initial assessment does not mean that an appointment or treatment has been confirmed.
How Should Referrals and Care After Treatment Be Coordinated?
If you need a referral, ask the doctor to explain its purpose and the available arrangements, then state your preferences once you understand them. You can ask whether the original hospital’s referral department can help coordinate. If treatment or tests already have deadlines, first ask your original team whether it is possible to wait or transfer care; do not delay them yourself. Ask your current doctor why the referral is needed, which department will receive you, and what records are required. The referring and receiving providers should confirm how you will be seen, the campus, and the time. A referral recommendation does not mean an appointment or bed has been secured. If anything is unclear, check directly with the receiving provider.
Before leaving the hospital, ask the treatment team for a discharge summary, important test results and images, an up-to-date medication list, and a plan suited to you for follow-up tests, wound care, activity, diet, or rehabilitation. Confirm when documents in the language you need will be available. Ask when each follow-up test is due, which situations require urgent medical attention, whom to contact if problems arise, and when and by whom pending test results will be followed up.
Give the plan to the community doctor or the doctor taking over after you return home. Confirm that they can accept you and provide the relevant tests and medicines. If they cannot take over, ask the original team to help find another provider, so that you do not interrupt the original plan on your own.
Orthopedic or spinal problems: how to verify the matching team
Tell the hospital whether the main problem is joint pain or limited walking, or neck or back pain, limb numbness or weakness, and attach existing imaging, reports, prior treatment, and symptom changes. Ask the hospital to confirm the actual subspecialty and campus that will see the patient, whether spinal surgery, neurosurgery, or rehabilitation teams need to evaluate jointly, and who will consolidate opinions; having an orthopedic department at the hospital does not mean a matching team has been arranged.
State the function you hope to improve specifically, then ask the doctor: what can non-surgical and surgical treatment each address, which symptoms may persist, and when will reassessment occur? Taking lumbar nerve decompression as an example, whether surgery is performed and which procedure is used depend on the cause, and activity guidance and rehabilitation may still be needed after surgery. If internal fixation or other implants are involved, ask about the reason for use, records of materials and model, costs, and follow-up conditions after returning home; also arrange anesthesia assessment, postoperative care, and the contact person for abnormal situations. NHS lumbar decompression and recovery information
For back pain with new perineal numbness, difficulty urinating, or loss of bowel or bladder control, or weakness and numbness in both legs, seek local emergency evaluation immediately, without waiting for overseas hospital selection or appointments. NHS urgent help guidance for back pain
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I always need a community referral before visiting a tertiary hospital?
Ask the hospital and department you plan to visit about their registration rules, and check claim requirements with your insurer. Requirements may vary by institution, service, or insurance policy. Even with a referral recommendation, confirm the actual appointment.
If I do not have a clear diagnosis, must I go straight to a tertiary hospital?
Not necessarily. If your symptoms are stable and there are no signs of an emergency, you can first ask a suitable primary care or general outpatient clinic. A doctor can assess whether you need further tests or specialist care. Seek emergency help promptly if symptoms are severe or worsen rapidly.
Is a Grade III Class A hospital always more suitable?
The rating can be a reference point, but you also need to consider whether the relevant department, tests, treatment support, appointment timing, and follow-up care meet your needs. Ask a doctor to judge this based on your condition.
Is a specialist hospital always more suitable than a general hospital?
Not necessarily. First ask a doctor what support your main problem and coexisting conditions require, then compare the specific teams and coordination arrangements. A specialist center within a general hospital may also be an option.
What if there is no joint multidisciplinary outpatient clinic?
Ask whether the department in charge can arrange separate assessments by the required departments or request consultations, who brings the opinions together, and when feedback will be available. Ask a doctor whether this meets your clinical needs.
Will tests done overseas need to be repeated?
Give the receiving team complete reports and readable images. Ask whether they can be used, whether review or additional testing is needed, and who will explain the results.
Can I continue getting my current medicine prescribed in the community?
Bring your original prescription and medicine information. First ask the community doctor whether they can assess you, prescribe the medicine, and supply it. The doctor seeing you will decide on the specific medication.
Will insurance pay for community outpatient care or an international medical department?
You cannot judge this from the institution’s level alone. Ask your insurer about coverage, prior authorization, and direct billing or upfront payment requirements for the specific campus and service. Then check the actual billing arrangements with the hospital.
The hospital says “your records have been received.” Can I book my flight?
First confirm the receiving department, appointment time, and campus, and whether treatment still depends on an in-person visit or tests. Also ask your current doctor to assess whether you are fit to travel.
Sources
- Shanghai Municipal Government: What to Do in an Emergency: The medical emergency number in mainland China and information to provide when calling.
- Law of the People’s Republic of China on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health: The status of medical institutions established by non-government organizations or individuals, and related requirements.
- National Health Commission: Response on Hospital Accreditation: Explanation of hospital levels and accreditation ratings; specific ratings are subject to current local accreditation results.
- Republished by the Julu County Health Bureau: Policy Explanation on First Visits and Referral Services: Information on informed referrals and coordination; individual cross-border cases still require confirmation by both hospitals.
- Law of the People’s Republic of China on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, Articles 34 and 35: Primary healthcare institutions and their services. The Guidelines for Evaluating the Service Capacity of Community Health Service Centers (2023 Edition) provide an evaluation framework for community centers; specific services must be confirmed with the institution.
- National Health Commission: Policy Explanation of the Tertiary Hospital Accreditation Standards (2025 Edition): The role of tertiary hospitals and areas assessed during accreditation.
- National Health Commission: Response on Tiered Management: The roles of urban secondary hospitals and primary care providers.
- National Health Commission: Implementing Rules for the Regulations on the Administration of Medical Institutions: Categories of medical institutions.
- National Health Commission: Key Points of the Core Systems for Medical Quality and Safety: Consultation procedures. Specific arrangements must be confirmed with the hospital.
This article helps you prepare for discussions with doctors. It does not provide a diagnosis, determine eligibility for treatment, or constitute a confirmed appointment. EastMedGo’s free initial discussion explains its coordination services and next steps; it does not constitute a medical diagnosis or a confirmed hospital appointment. Listing a hospital or doctor does not mean that a partnership has been established.
Related hospitals: Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, hepatobiliary surgery); Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital (orthopedics: joint conditions and sports injuries). Related information: Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital page, Sixth People’s Hospital international medical service information. Suitability for an individual must be checked separately.