Patient-centered approach in outpatient medical care in Russia: a study of key aspects of patient satisfaction and perception of the healthcare system

Introduction. In Russia, patient-centredness is highlighted as a new and key area of Roszdravnadzor’s requirements for the organisation of internal quality control in medical organisations. In order to modernise the healthcare system in a patient-centred way, it is necessary to focus on the requirements of the patients themselves and to investigate which criteria play a key role in shaping a positive experience of interaction with healthcare organisations. The purpose of the study: to assess the key criteria of patient satisfaction with medical care in outpatient settings in the Russian Federation. Materials and methods . 1 526 respondents participated in the study. In the first stage, in-depth online interviews were conducted with 17 respondents using the Path Finder methodology. Based on the data obtained, a new questionnaire was developed to assess users’ perceptions of outpatient and polyclinic medical organisations and to identify key factors of satisfaction. In the second stage, 1 509 respondents (age 35–65 years, mean age 48.5 (± 8.3); 54.1% women) living in cities with a population >500,000 people completed the questionnaire. The study included residents of 36 Russian cities from 8 federal districts. Based on the data obtained, a Johnson’s driver analysis was performed with a quantitative assessment of the unique contribution of each factor. Results . It was shown that the key criterion influencing satisfaction with outpatient medical care is the doctor’s behaviour. This criterion consisted of readiness to immerse in the problem (18.29), individualised choice of treatment (10.99), as well as willingness to inform the patient (10.28) and communication style (8.11). Also important for respondents were the equipment of the medical organisation (5.06) and convenience of the appointment process (3.89). Such parameters as quality of repair (1.28), access to electronic maps (0.80) and availability of smartphone application (2.04) were less important for users. Conclusion. The most important criteria influencing the perception of outpatient care are the competence and behaviour of the doctor. At the same time, parameters such as the appearance of the medical organisation and some aspects of digitalisation are significantly less important for patients.