Medical and social characteristics of patients receiving medical care in outpatient settings in the public and private healthcare sectors of a large metropolis

Introduction. Today, in a large city, private medical institutions providing primary health care are a full-fledged alternative to public clinics.

Purpose: to study and compare the medical and social characteristics of patients receiving primary health care in public and private outpatient medical institutions.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted in medical institutions providing medical care on an outpatient basis and functioning in the system of the City Health Department or in the private healthcare sector of the city of Moscow. The study used the method of copying data, statistical and analytical research methods.

Results. Patients of public and private outpatient medical institutions are mostly women who go to the polyclinic for examination and treatment, which includes general blood and urine tests, biochemical blood tests, ultrasound, radiography, consultations of medical specialists of the 1^st and 2^nd levels. At the same time, more polymorbid patients from older age groups are observed in the public health sector. The private health care sector caters mainly to able-bodied working contingent who do not have serious health problems, for whom non-therapeutic diseases and examinations are the reason for contacting.

Research limitations. The main limitation of the study is its conduction in a single city.

Conclusion. The medical and social characteristics of patients determine their objective needs and subjective expectations in the field of health care, so they can be important for improving primary health care in public and private outpatient medical institutions, the formation and development of continuity and partnerships in their work. All this should contribute to improving the availability and quality of primary health care, as well as satisfaction, of such socially significant categories of the population as elderly patients and people of working age.

Compliance with ethical standards. Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the local ethics committee of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), protocol No. 12-22 dated 02.06.2022.

Contribution of the authors:
Volnukhin A.V. — research concept and design, writing the text, compilation of the list of literature;
Morozova T.E., Skvirskaya G.P. — writing the text, editing;
Reze A.G., Samokhina E.O., Zaugolnikova T.V. — collection and processing of material;
Gurjar M.V., Gertsog A.A. — statistical data processing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: October 5, 2023 / Revised: November 13, 2023 / Accepted: December 20, 2023 / Published: June 30, 2025

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