Toward a framework of ambiguity: a qualitative understanding of healthcare policy design and governance mechanism in China

The findings of this study indicate that ambiguity, categorized into five types-"<i>Elasticating</i>," "<i>Generalizing</i>," "<i>Overloading</i>," "<i>Substituting</i>," and "<i>Intensifying</i>"-with "<i>Elasticating</i>" being the most predominant, facilitated the diffusion of accountability, the shifting of responsibility, and the flexibility of interpretation. This research makes a significant contribution to the field of public health governance by redefining policy ambiguity as a complex, integrated mechanism of problem-solving that is rooted in the behavioral, institutional, and bureaucratic contexts of public health operations in China, rather than as a systematic failure.