Evaluation of primary health care by the patients (in Lipetsk and Tumen oblasts)

Abstract

Modernization of Russian health care is aimed on strengthening of the primary medical care. Therefore, it is important to study the attitude of service users to the work of organizations of primary care. The article presents materials of interviewing the pa tients in four health centers (polyclinics) in two regions of Russia. The patients evaluate how services are provided, compared quality and accessibility of services that are free of charge and those which require fees, as well as of medications that are provided as a priv ilege to certain users’ groups. The service users evaluated preventive services, possibili ties of coordination of general practitioners’ and specialized care, relations with doctors. The data show that accessibility of services in polyclinics is hindered due to big time losses for working patients who have obligatory medical insurance certificates as well as for the patients from the low income groups due to the wide structure of commercial services and expensive medications.