Objective To explore the current status and related factors of the chronic disease management competence of general practitioners in community health service centers in Shanghai, so as to provide a scientific basis for the improvement of general practitioner training system and optimization of service model for chronic disease management.

Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted from October to December 2024 on 1 590 community general practitioners in Shanghai to analyze the current status of chronic disease management competence and explore relevant factors through four dimensions, including professional knowledge, professional skills, comprehensive abilities, and professional ethics.

Results A total of 1 458 valid questionnaires were obtained. The competency score for chronic disease management among general practitioners in Shanghai was (85.09±9.31) points. General practitioners scored lower on the items “familiarity with chronic disease management workflows”, “clinical operation skills related to chronic diseases”, and “sound dialectical thinking and innovative capabilities” with respective scores of (4.18±0.69), (4.06±0.70), and (4.19±0.60) points. The differences in competency scores for chronic disease management among general practitioners with different professional titles (F=3.99, P=0.008) and training satisfaction levels (F=134.20, P<0.001) were statistically significant. Higher professional titles (P<0.001), types of Western medical practice qualifications (P=0.006), longer years of experience in chronic disease management (P=0.002), and higher satisfaction with chronic disease training (P<0.001) were positively correlated with the competence level of general practitioners in chronic disease management.

Conclusion The clinical operation skills, mastery of the chronic disease management process, and innovative abilities of general practitioners in Shanghai need to be improved. Future efforts should focus on general practitioners without high professional titles and those qualified in traditional Chinese medicine to further enhance the quality of training.