The Relationship between the Living Environment and People Attitudes towards Healthcare System. Case of Russia and Romania

Abstract

This article focuses on the problems of healthcare systems in Russia and Romania from the perspective of patients due to the current requirement to address the improvement of healthcare systems from the customer perspective. The article’s purpose is to identify the patients’ attitudes towards the main problems of the systems in the two countries and their satisfaction with public clinics. These attitudes were analyzed in relationship with the residence area of the respondents (urban or rural). The results of this research can assist decision-makers in finding problems that demand specific upgrades, adjustments, and innovations in healthcare. An electronic survey was conducted on over 400 persons from Russia and Romania. The results reveal that in Russia the problems of the healthcare system are not appreciated differently by the urban and rural residents, while in Romania the rural population is more concerned about these problems. Instead, the analysis of satisfaction with public clinics reveals opposite results.