An Empirical Study Of Biomedicine Technology Competency In Local Medical Universities

Research PurposeThe purpose is to study the major elements of biomedicine technology competency and scientifically establishes a reasonable evaluation index system to evaluate the biomedicine technology competency of provincial medical universities. The aim is to provide reference information for management decision and development of local medical universities.Research ObjectsThe biomedicine technology competency of a certain provincial medical university is taken as the evaluation target in this paper and 8 first-level disciplines,43 second-level disciplines and 14 third-level disciplines were used as empirical research disciplines.Research MethodsLiterature reviews, stepwise decomposition, experts meeting and Delphi technique is used to constitute the final evaluation index system. Weighting method and accumulating one of comprehensive point system are used to build-up an overall evaluation model. Comparative analysis, overall evaluation, quantitative and qualitative analysis are employed to conduct the empirical study.Research Findings1. Definition of biomedicine technology competency in local medical universitiesThe study assumes that local medical universities'biomedicine technology competency refers to the development level and potentiality of biomedicine disciplines in those local medical universities. It is an overall force set of its research platform, research talents, research input and output, research efficiency and research environment, and it is also a service factor for social and economic development.2. Establishment of the evaluation indexes in local medical universities'biomedicine technology competencyConsistent with the screening criterion that the average is greater than or equal to 3.5, the percentage of full marks is more than or equal to 0.2, and CV is less than or equal to 0.2, considering definitive advices proposed by experts after two rounds of consulting under Delphi technique, we established the final evaluation indexes including 4 first-grade indexes,13 second-grade indexes and 39 third-grade indexes in this study. 3. Set-up of weighting of the evaluation indexes in local medical universities'biomedicine technology competencyA simple formula is adopted to get the weight values in this study. The score of every index was first assessed by experts. The separate weight of every index is calculated and normalized to get the average of every index. Combination weight is conducted by product method. The weights of first grade indexes are 0.2625,0.2513,0.2641, and 0.2221, respectively.4. Construct of overall evaluation model in local medical universities'biomedicine technology competencyWe used the methods of weighting and build-up to construct the overall evaluation model. The third-level index's weighed values are acquired by the method of weighting. The weighed values of the second-level were obtained by adding those of the third-level. The weighed values of the first-level are built up on the basis of the second-level. Finally, the overall evaluation values are accumulated by plus every first-level value. The evaluation model is listed below.5. Empirical study of biomedicine technology competency in a provincial medical universityWe took the biomedicine technology competency of a certain provincial medical university as our evaluation target, and used 8 first-level disciplines,43 second-level disciplinesand and 14 third-level disciplines of a certain provincial medical universities'biomedicine as research disciplines to carry on an empirical study.Research Conclusions1.We have established an evaluation index system for local medical universities' biomedicine technology competency which is standard, reasonable, effective, and credible, and can be utilized to a wider coverage. The empirical research results showed that this evaluation index system is of stronger operability, higher reliability, and better feasibility.2. Research results of first-level biomedicine disciplines in a provincial medical universityAll of the available data from first-level biomedicine science in a provincial medical university between 2001 and 2009 is deeply analyzed with the evaluation index system. The results showed that eight disciplines comprehensively analyzed in order are:clinical medicine, biology, public health and preventive medicine, pharmaceutical, basic medical, dental medicine and public management, Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, respectively. Moreover, clinical medicine, biology, and public health and preventive medicine have stronger technology competition than other ones, while oral medicine, public management, and Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine are weaker, which should be further strengthened in the future.3. Research results of second-level biomedicine disciplines in a provincial medical universityOur research displayed that the top ten integrated assessment among 43 second-level biomedicine sciences are:internal medicine, surgery, physiology, epidemics and health statistics, drug chemistry, forensic medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology, labor health and environmental hygiene, imaging and nuclear medicine, psychiatry and mental health. All these academic subjects have little difference in research platform and scientific benefit. But the main subjects with stronger competition ability are those that can provide higher research input and output. This can also explain that why these academic subjects have strong technology development potential. Eight subjects of the all including nutrition and food hygiene, genetics, immunology, clinical laboratory diagnostics, rehabilitation medicine and sciences of physical therapy, emergency medicine, oral basic medicine, and cell biology have lower competition scores, which need to improve technology competency further.4. Research results of third-level biomedicine disciplines in a provincial medical universityThe integrated assessment of third-level disciplines among internal medicine and we give them an order in comprehensiveness are:cardiovascular disease, hematopathy, alimentary system disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease, endocrinology and metabolic disease, infections, and rheumatism. Furthermore, cardiovascular disease, hematopathy, alimentary system disease, kidney disease, and respiratory disease have higher scores because of their more investments in scientific research. Endocrinology and metabolic disease, infections, and rheumatism have lower scores and should strengthen their sci-tech competitiveness through increasing own ability.The integrated assessment of third-level disciplines among surgery in order are:orthopedics, urology, general surgery, cardiac and chest surgery, neurosurgery, and cineplastic surgery. Among them, Orthopedics is the strongest one and has powerful sci-tech competitiveness on account of the highest investment in scientific research. Cineplastic surgery is the weakest one and need to enlarge research input and output to improve its technology competency.Suggestions1. To identify the science and technology development strategies for biomedicine disciplines in local medical universities.2. To set up the development platform of science and technology for biomedicine disciplines in local medical universities. 3. To strengthen the cultivation of biomedicine academic leaders and construction of excellent research teams in local medical universities.4. To enhance the discipline resource integrating ability of biomedicine disciplines and encourage the overall development of biomedicine discipline in local medical universities.Originality of the Paper1. It is the first time to establish a basic database of all biomedicine disciplines'sci-tech achievements from 2001 to 2009 in provincial medical universities.2. We have established an evaluation system of biomedicine technology competency in local medical universities and have completed an empirical study of biomedicine technology competency in the provincial medical university under the evaluation system.Further Research Assumptions1. To improve the evaluation system by making further study on its elements.2. To carry out further empirical studies of other 14 local medical universities'biomedicine technology competency.