10.01.2018
Assessment of the state of medical sphere in Ukraine: December 2017
- According to a survey conducted by Rating Group in November–December 2017, 43% of respondents said that the overall quality of public healthcare services in the country had deteriorated over the past two years. Only 11% reported improvement, 38% believed that nothing had changed, and 8% were unable to answer. At the same time, compared with the previous year, the share of those who speak about deterioration in this sphere has decreased.
- Fifty-four percent of respondents know their family doctor or therapist, while 45% do not. Awareness is highest among women and older people. Thirty-one percent use the services of a family doctor or pediatrician, while 20% do not. Residents of rural areas, as well as those living in the South and the Center of the country, turn to pediatricians more often.
- One third of respondents used ambulance services during the past year. City residents, people in the Central and Southern regions, and older respondents relied on ambulance services more frequently. Among those who used emergency services, 72% were satisfied with the quality of care and the professionalism of ambulance teams, about a quarter were dissatisfied, and 3% were undecided.
- Among the reforms and legislative changes adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in autumn 2017, the highest awareness was recorded for pension and healthcare reforms: 86–88% of respondents had heard about them. Sixty-nine percent were aware of education reform and 64% of judicial reform.
- Among government initiatives in healthcare, the best-known are the introduction of free (or low-co-payment) medicines for diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases on a doctor’s prescription (74%), and the introduction of nationwide health insurance (71%). About two thirds are aware of initiatives to raise doctors’ salaries through contract-based mechanisms and to introduce contracts between patients and doctors. Fifty-five percent know about the creation of hospital districts with one multidisciplinary hospital in each oblast and several intensive-care hospitals, 53% know about the creation of Public Health Centers in each region, and 51% know about the introduction of reference pricing for medicines. Awareness is lower regarding stricter control of public funds for building Okhmatdyt (47%) and lowest regarding subsidies for medical services for internally displaced persons from Donbas and Crimea (39%). Overall awareness of healthcare reform initiatives increased over the previous three months.
- Among these initiatives, the highest support is for free or low-cost medicines for chronic diseases and stricter oversight of public funds for Okhmatdyt (86% and 85% respectively). Seventy-seven percent support Public Health Centers and reference pricing, 71% support nationwide health insurance, 68% support higher doctors’ salaries through contracts and subsidies for internally displaced persons, 63% support contracts for free primary care, and 48% support the creation of hospital districts.
- Support for all key elements of the healthcare reform has declined somewhat since August. Two thirds of respondents support draft laws that include all nine initiatives, 21% oppose them, and 13% are undecided. Support is higher in the West, among urban residents, youth, and people with higher incomes, and lowest in the East, among older people and rural residents.
- If given a choice of standardized treatment protocols, 54% would prefer international protocols, while only 26% would choose domestic ones and about 20% are undecided. Over the past three months, support for domestic protocols increased from 20% to 26%.
- Compared with August, the share of those who consider the Ministry of Health important for themselves and their families increased from 57% to 62%, while 31% expressed the opposite view.
- More than half of respondents (56%) trust Ukrainian television most when hearing about healthcare reform. A quarter trust Ukrainian websites, 15–16% social networks and Ukrainian newspapers, 12% Ukrainian radio, 6% Western websites, 4% Western media, and only small shares trust Russian media sources.
- In the context of healthcare reform, people trust relatives most (51%) and medical professionals (39%), while much lower trust is placed in authorities, NGOs, ministers, or politicians.
- In general, Ukrainian television is trusted by 49% of respondents, Ukrainian websites by 41%, social networks by 37%, newspapers by 33%, and radio by 29%. Trust in Russian media is very low and is higher only in the South and East. Younger people trust online sources and social media more, while older people rely mainly on television, newspapers, and radio.
Methodology
- Respondents: residents of Ukraine aged 18 and older. The sample is representative in terms of age, gender, regions, and place of residence.
- Total sample: 1200 respondents.
- Personal formalized interview (face-to-face).
- The margin of error does not exceed 2,8%.
- Fieldwork dates: 23 November – 4 December 2017
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