This study aims to analyze the development of county-level Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services in Guangxi based on grounded theory, providing theoretical support for proposing corresponding countermeasures to promote the development of TCM services in Guangxi counties. A semi-structured interview outline was designed to conduct semi-structured interviews with relevant informants. Using grounded theory, the interview results were coded and analyzed with NVivo 11 software. Through the three-level coding process of procedural grounded theory, 114 initial concepts, 22 main categories, and 9 core categories were identified, leading to the formation of a theoretical framework for the development of county-level TCM services. Medical resources and internal/external influencing factors were identified as the prerequisites for the development of county-level TCM services. The action strategies for the development of TCM services at the county level include service capacity building, service capacity improvement, and medical staff proactivity. The outcomes of TCM service development at the county level are changes in residents' healthcare-seeking behavior and the coordinated development of county-level healthcare institutions. We found improving the prerequisites for the development of county-level TCM services, continuing to implement the action strategies, and fostering a positive atmosphere for the use of TCM across society are key measures to achieving the sustainable development of county-level TCM services.
Foucault's genealogy is widely applied in discussions of medicalization. Critics such as Conrad have adopted Foucault's power-knowledge analysis as a crucial tool for critiquing it. However, these critiques often tend to view medicalization excessively as a negative phenomenon and frequently propose demedicalization strategies from the perspective of social governance, which leads to the neglect of individual agency. In this regard, Foucault's genealogy can offer alternative insights. His emphasis on the productivity of power enables a better understanding of the positive aspects of medicalization, while his discussions on governance and technologies of the self highlight the role of self-governance. This paper argues that by returning to Foucault's genealogical analysis, we can not only develop more diverse perspectives on social medicalization but also derive insights for self-governance within current demedicalization strategies.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing medical education, promising faster workflows and richer learning resources while quietly reshaping how future clinicians think and act. This paper examines the central tension between efficiency and safety in AI-enabled medical education, asking when AI functions as a bridge that strengthens training and when it becomes a wedge that undermines it. Drawing on a targeted review of 1,266 pieces of literature on clinical decision support, diagnostic algorithms, and generative AI, we identify three interlocking ethical tensions: clinical efficiency versus health equity, cognitive convenience versus clinical judgment, and data-driven personalization versus professional integrity. Using role conflict theory, we demonstrate how these tensions manifest in the daily work of learners and clinical educators, who must simultaneously prioritize patient safety, promote independent reasoning, and adapt to AI-mediated workflows. We argue that medical education should treat AI not only as a technical tool but as a curricular and ethical problem: learners must be trained to question, calibrate, and sometimes refuse AI outputs. Framed this way, the task is not to decide for or against AI, but to design conditions under which it reliably acts as a bridge rather than a wedge.
This study conducts a qualitative thematic analysis of vision and mission statements from leading publicly listed hospitals in BRICS countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-to explore institutional health priorities and strategic orientations. Drawing on official data from top-ranked government hospitals, the analysis identifies recurring thematic commitments and their relative emphasis across national contexts. Using a structured coding framework and frequency analysis, seventeen core themes were initially extracted and then consolidated into major thematic groups, such as Medical Care/Services, Governance & Administration, Patient Focus, Education & Research, and Service Commitment. Radar diagrams and comparative tables were employed to visualize cross-national similarities and divergences. Findings reveal that each country exhibits distinct institutional priorities: South Africa emphasizes Service Commitment (43.2%), China highlights Administration (27%), Russia focuses on Medical Care (23.6%), Brazil prioritizes Excellence (13.79%), and India centers on general Hospital identity (10%). While shared attention to quality, public health, and governance is evident, significant gaps persist in themes such as Community Engagement, Access & Affordability, and Ethics & Humanization. These disparities underscore the influence of political, historical, and structural factors on how healthcare institutions define and communicate their purpose. The study contributes to the emerging field of narrative health governance by demonstrating that institutional language is both symbolic and strategic. Vision and mission statements are not merely rhetorical but actively shape organizational identity and public expectations. The results offer valuable implications for health policymakers, administrators, and global health scholars aiming to align institutional narratives with universal health coverage, equity, and sustainable development goals. Future research is encouraged to link these thematic commitments with hospital performance metrics and extend the framework to non-BRICS countries for a more globalized understanding.
This article analyzes four prevailing metaphors-"oil," "light," "gift," and "trust"-that shape how human biomedical data are ethically and conceptually understood. Each metaphor reflects competing views on ownership, access, and responsibility. By comparing their strengths and limitations, the paper proposes a new "trust-gift" model that integrates altruistic donation with institutional accountability. This hybrid metaphor offers a normative foundation for balancing individual rights with collective benefit and provides practical guidance for building more ethical and inclusive global data governance frameworks.
