Objective This study aims to explore a new path for the construction and sustainable development of primary medical communities and to provide a replicable reference experience.
Methods The methods adopted in this study were the literature review and theoretical research methods, combined with field research and expert argumentation as well as the grassroots-oriented practice of constructing the new medical community.
Results Based on the in-depth analysis of the current status and development of the medical communities in China, here we proposed the concept of "General Practice+" medical community which had been practiced in Foshan, China for more than one year. Combined with the provincial-level public health research institutions, community health service centers, and functional communities, "General Practice+" medical community emphasizes on the integration of treatment and prevention, takes the tertiary hospital as the leading regional hospital and focus on the general medicine. It was noticeable that this new pattern of the medical community was constructed under the cooperation between medical university and government. This medical community was expected to solve the problem of lacking high-quality medical resources by the cooperation between university and government, resolve the underlying contradictions in system and mechanism by "five unity principles", and promote the construction of regional medical communities by taking the general medicine as the starting point. The new pattern of the medical community uses the "General Practice+" to explore a new path of applicable and sustainable reform for popularizing healthy living, optimizing health services, improving health care, building a healthy environment, and developing a healthy industry.
Conclusion The "General Practice+" medical community provides new ideas for the medical and health system reform under multi-cooperation and presents evidence for the other county-level public hospitals reform and the other medical community pilot project.