A Rural-Based Medical and Sociological Study on the Results of the Primary Care Reform

Abstract

The aim: To study the results of a medical and sociological research as to the attitude of rural population in amalgamated hromadas (AH), i.e. united territorial communities, of Sumy region to the results of primary care reform. Materials and methods: The form of research – a survey with closed questionnaire. The study was conducted on a specially designed three-tier quota sample, which was calculated allowing for the territorial and socio-demographic indicators. A total of 320 respondents residing in the specified rural communities (hromadas) were surveyed with quota sampling. The theoretical sampling error makes 3%. The questionnaires were processed by the laboratory staff with the help of the “OСA” program. Results: Among the surveyed in Nyzhniosyrovatska AH (amalgamated hromada), 23.5% of the population emphasized that their authorities neglected medical problems, while in Bezdrytska AH this indicator was 6.7%, as evidenced by the difference in the industry financing from own assets (274 thousand less than in Bezdrytska AH). The survey revealed that in the communities where the population knows their family doctors better and trusts them, the satisfaction with the quality of medical care and the attitude to prophylaxis (prevention) is much higher. Conclusions: A significant part of the population demonstrates a low level of awareness of the course of the reforms, their goals and objectives. The specified trends may indicate a lack of communication or distortion of information on the implementation of medical reform. It is an information support that is one of the key instruments for effective introduction of medical reform. At the local level, this function is assigned to a family doctor who becomes a determining factor not only for providing medical services to patients, but also for communication, keeping the population informed and prophylaxis.