CHEST Guidelines-The-Strategic-Establishment-of-Pulmonary-and-Criti

The-Strategic-Establishment-of-Pulmonary-and-Criti

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The document outlines the establishment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) as a medical subspecialty in China. This initiative was part of a strategic reform in China's postgraduate medical education system, announced by the National Health Commission in December 2016. The effort aimed to address the urgent need for critical care and was driven by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) in collaboration with Chinese professional societies. Initially, PCCM, cardiology, and neurosurgery were selected as pilot subspecialties.<br /><br />The development of PCCM in China was informed by the American model where PCCM plays a key role in training critical care medicine (CCM) specialists. Currently, it is the dominant training pathway in the U.S., representing 73% of CCM trainees. This model was chosen for China to meet the increasing demand for critical care services due to an aging population.<br /><br />The China-CHEST PCCM Fellowship, initiated in 2012, was a pioneering collaborative project between CHEST, the Chinese Thoracic Society, and the Chinese Association of Chest Physicians. The program saw the involvement of top-ranking hospitals to ensure high-quality training and has since transitioned into a national fellowship program begun in September 2018.<br /><br />As part of the ongoing process, China has expanded training programs to adapt to various regional needs, including a condensed 1-year fellowship and 6-month programs focusing on specific competencies like ventilator management and bronchoscopy.<br /><br />By 2018, the program involved 79 hospitals as training sites, and 400 trainees are enrolled each year, aiming to rapidly build the workforce to meet the demand for PCCM specialists. The document emphasizes the importance of streamlined training and the development of standardized PCCM departments to support this initiative. This ongoing strategic growth is grounded in collaborative efforts among professional societies, ensuring that PCCM training aligns with both local needs and international standards.

Keywords

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

PCCM

China

medical subspecialty

National Health Commission

American College of Chest Physicians

China-CHEST PCCM Fellowship

critical care services

training programs

collaborative efforts