Indicators of availability of district physicians in the Russian Federation and federal districts for 2010–2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over the past 20 years in the Russian Federation, general practitioners have been increasingly introduced into the structure of primary health care, which naturally affects the work and number of district general practitioners as the main representatives providing this type of care.
 AIM: The study aimed to assess the indicators of the availability of district general practitioners in the Russian Federation and federal districts in the period from 2010 to 2019.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The indicators of the availability of local general practitioners in the Russian Federation and federal districts in 20102019 were analyzed using the data of the form of federal statistical monitoring No. 30 Information about the medical institution.
 RESULTS: During the monitoring period in the Russian Federation, both the absolute number and provision of the population with district general practitioners per 10,000 population decreased (regular positions from 4.2 to 3.88, assumed positions from 3.91 to 3.28, and individuals of the main workers in assumed positions from 3.25 to 3.11 (7.6%, 16.1%, and 4.3%, respectively), and the staffing level of these doctors decreased by 9.1% (from 92.9% to 84.5%). A similar trend can be traced in most federal districts, except for the North Caucasus, where the number and availability of district general practitioners and their staffing increase. Moreover, the secondary employment ratio of these doctors decreased positively in both the Russian Federation (by 12.3%, from 1.2 to 1.06) and all federal districts.
 CONCLUSIONS: The process described can be due to the reformation of the polyclinic model with an emphasis on strengthening the role of general practitioners and their gradual replacement of district general practitioners in most regions of the country. This process is intensive in the Central Federal District. On the contrary, in the North Caucasian Federal District, the role of district general practitioners is increasing.