The state of medical sphere in Ukraine

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31.01.2017

The state of medical sphere in Ukraine

According to a survey conducted by the Rating Group in December 2016, two thirds of respondents know who their family doctor or therapist is, while the other third do not. The older the respondents, the higher their awareness of their family doctor. Women are better informed about this than men.
53% of respondents trust their family doctor, 21% do not, and 26% were unable to assess their level of trust. Trust is directly related to how often respondents visit doctors and how well they know their family doctor – among those who know their doctor, almost 80% trust him or her. Women and older people trust doctors more than men and younger respondents.
Almost half (48%) say that their family doctor has given them advice on disease prevention or recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, while the same share say they have not received such recommendations. Among those who received this advice, 82% trust their family doctor.
37% of respondents consult a doctor or another medical professional about their health or medical advice less than once a year. A quarter do so once a year, 17% at least every six months, 10% every three months, and 5% monthly. Women consult medical professionals more often than men, and older people do so more often than younger ones.
42% of respondents report having one to three illnesses that currently bother them. 17% say they suffer from more than four illnesses, while one third report no current health problems. Health status depends on age: the older the respondent, the more likely they are to have health concerns. Men complain about their health less often than women.
27% of respondents checked their heart and blood vessels this year, 16% did so last year, 20% more than two years ago, 12% more than four years ago, and 18% have never checked their cardiovascular system. The highest share of people who were tested this year was in the South (31%) and the East (40%). In contrast, one quarter of respondents in the West have never undergone such examinations. Older people and women are more likely to have undergone cardiovascular check-ups this year.
Two thirds of respondents do not take medications or vitamins to treat or prevent heart disease, while one third do. 42% of women take heart-related medicines, compared to 22% of men. Half of those aged 51+ take such medication. Among those who frequently visit doctors or who underwent cardiovascular examinations this year, almost two thirds take these medicines.
39% of respondents trust television news about changes in the healthcare sector, while 56% do not. 36% trust similar information from the Internet, 39% do not, and 26% cannot assess their level of trust. 29% trust such information in the print media, while 56% do not; 27% trust medical news on the radio, while 52% do not. Residents of the West are most likely to trust healthcare news across all media types, while residents of the East are least likely. Young people trust online sources more, while older people trust television. Women trust healthcare news on television slightly more than men.
76% of respondents trust the fire and rescue service in their region, while 14% do not. 74% trust the ambulance service, 22% do not. 57% trust medical institutions (polyclinics and hospitals), 36% do not; 55% trust pharmacies, 38% do not; 48% trust the police, 45% do not.
This creates a situation where people, on the one hand, are dissatisfied with the state of healthcare and believe that the overall quality of public medical services is deteriorating or not improving, while on the other hand they continue to trust medical institutions and doctors.
Among recent government initiatives to reform healthcare, respondents most strongly support reimbursement of patients’ costs for medicines for diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases (84%) and the introduction of mandatory health insurance (64%). The establishment of Public Health Centers is supported by 58%, opposed by 21%, and 22% are undecided. Standardized treatment protocols are supported by 57%, opposed by 12%, and 30% are undecided. Adoption of a public health development concept is supported by 57%, opposed by 22%, with the same share undecided. The introduction of a contract-based system that would increase doctors’ salaries is supported by 44%, opposed by 35%, with 21% not answering. Contracts with a guaranteed treatment price are supported by 38%, opposed by 42%, and 20% are undecided. The creation of hospital districts is supported by 36%, opposed by 44%, and 20% are undecided.
Support for the creation of a paramedic service to provide first aid in traumatic situations increased from 64% in October to 69% in December. Support for abolishing Order No. 33, under which public funding was allocated to medical institutions based on the number of hospital beds, remained virtually unchanged at 58%.
64% support the use of competitive and transparent tenders for government procurement of certain medicines, while 17% do not.
Only 27% believe that introducing patient-doctor contracts with at least a 30% increase in doctors’ salaries would improve healthcare quality. 36% believe it would have no effect, and 16% think it would worsen quality. 21% could not answer. Support is highest in the West (33%) and lowest in the East (17%), where the largest share of undecided respondents (37%) is also found. Those who visit doctors more often are more supportive of this initiative.
77% support vaccination of children against diseases such as polio, measles, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, and others. 12% oppose vaccination, and 11% are undecided. Support is somewhat higher among urban residents, women, older people, and those who trust medical institutions.
71% support mandatory childhood vaccinations against diseases that threaten public health, 13% oppose them, and 16% are undecided. Again, support is higher among urban residents, women, and those who trust medical institutions.