Features of the formation of medical services availability in the new economic reality

Analytical materials, sample observations and surveys show significant problems in the availability and quality of medical care for the Russian people, who differ in terms of living conditions, solvency, age and other characteristic. The purpose of this study is to identify the features of the formation of medical services availability in the Russian healthcare system in the new economic reality and to determine the directions for its improvement. The empirical base of the study is the data from official statistics of the Russian Federation, international organizations, outcomes of sample observations and surveys, processed by methods of comparative analysis, groupings, and expert assessments. The main results of the study: substantiation, as the most important tool for overcoming inequality in the availability and quality of medical care, of the projects of social orientation at the federal and regional levels, which contain a set of differentiated measures addressed to specific groups of the population living in different conditions. The impact of the healthcare system commercialization of on the level of accessibility of medical care for the urban population and people living in small rural and hard-to-reach settlements is considered; the need for social support of certain segments of the population in connection with the expansion of the segment of paid medical services through public-private partnership is substantiated. In the course of analytical study of the significance of federal and regional projects of a social orientation with a focus on the needs of specific groups of the population, there was shown the expediency of interaction and complementarity of various sectors of the economy and medical organizations in the provision of telemedicine consultations and other services, the need to enhance the professional training of doctors and medical personnel using distance learning forms and subsequent accreditation. The importance of developing regional social standards as a set of mutually agreed management practices and decisions to improve the quality and accessibility of services in the social sphere is shown.