Chapitre d'ouvrage: Today, China's public hospitals manage 90% of consultations for what English-speakers would call ambulatory care or outpatient care 1 , and 90% of hospital inpatient admissions. As such, public hospitals deal with the demand for treatment by consultation just as they must deal with treatment for inpatients. China is in the midst of a paradox. There has been a spectacular upward surge in health indicators, matching a similar increase in economic indicators. It is also a colossal market, with healthcare expenditures reaching $511.3 billion in 2013. 2 That is equivalent to 5.6% of GDP. 3 On the other hand, the health system has officially been described as inefficient, and there is a toxic atmosphere between medical staff and patients.