Impact of family doctor contracting on the health status of the mobile population

Abstract Background In 2009, China's new healthcare reform proposed strengthening the primary healthcare system, emphasizing "the provision of active, continuous and responsible services, and the comprehensive development of various models of family doctor services." Family doctor contracting has been verified in theory and practice to promote residents' health; however, studies on family doctor contracting for the migrant population are limited. This study focuses on family doctors to empirically examine the relationship between family doctor contracting and citizens' health among the mobile population. Methods Based on data from the 2018 National Migrant Population Health and Family Planning Dynamic Monitoring Survey, using SPSS 25.0 and STATA16.0 software, multiple linear regression model (OLS) and propensity score matching (PSM) methods were used to explore the influence of family doctor contracting on the migrant population's autonomy and evaluate the impact on health status. Results OLS revealed that family doctor contracting among the floating population had a positive impact on self-rated health status ( P < 0.05); the PSM test revealed that the self-rated health status of the floating population with contracted family doctors increased by approximately 2.21–3.15%, compared to those without contracted family doctors. Conclusion The family doctor contracting rate among the floating population is low. Individuals who have not enrolled with family doctors among the floating population have poorer self-assessed health status than those who have. Family doctor contracting among the floating population positively promotes their self-assessed health status. Policymakers should actively promote family doctor contracting services for the migrant population in their place of residence, improve the basic public health service system, and enable the migrant population to enjoy the same benefits as local residents.