Shapovalova A.V. Effectiveness Assessment of the Russian Healthcare System: A Regional Aspect
Alina V. Shapovalova
Siberian University of Consumer Cooperation, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
Abstract. A key challenge for the Russian healthcare system remains the contradiction between the positive dynamics of official statistical indicators within the framework of the national projects “Healthcare” and “Demography” and the continuing low level of subjective satisfaction of the population with the quality of medical care. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of patient assessments of the effectiveness of Russia’s regional systems of healthcare in order to identify latent systemic problems that are not recorded in departmental reports. The empirical base was formed by the data of the author’s sociological survey of 357 patients from 30 constituent entities of the Russian Federation who suffered from COVID-19 and had an intensive experience of interaction with the healthcare system. Methods of questionnaires (10 questions, including 6 closed and 4 open ones, using a 5-point Likert scale) and comparative and descriptive statistical analysis were used. The results showed a consistently low average level of satisfaction (3.1 out of 5 points). The key result was the typology of regions based on specific “problem profiles”: staff shortages and high workload in large agglomerations, management problems in industrial regions, and a complex crisis (low equipment and availability of medicines) in agricultural regions. The scientific novelty lies in the development and testing of a patient-based assessment methodology that allows for targeted management. Based on the results, a set of specific measures was proposed. They are outsourcing non-core functions to improve the patient experience, using public-private partnerships to address staff shortages, and digitalizing to reduce bureaucratic burdens. The practical significance of the work lies in providing the authorities with a tool for making differentiated management decisions at the regional level. The study demonstrates the need to supplement federal initiatives with feedback mechanisms.
Key words: healthcare, medicine, health, region, economy, innovations, quality of medical care, patient satisfaction, survey, regional systems, development strategies.
Citation. Shapovalova A.V., 2026. Effectiveness Assessment of the Russian Healthcare System: A Regional Aspect. Regionalnaya ekonomika. Yug Rossii [Regional Economy. South of Russia], vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 71-80. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/re.volsu.2026.1.7
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