OECD Reviews of Health Systems: Russian Federation 2012
This review examines some of the possible reasons for poor population health in Russia and explores possible impediments to further improvements. In doing so it examines the current health system against the background of the reforms put in place in the 1990s and recent policy efforts to correct some of the most important difficulties. It also identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses of existing arrangements.
The performance of the Russian health system
This chapter first examines how the Russian Federation compares internationally over a range of health-related indicators. It then looks in more detail at the performance of the health system as seen from four different vantage points that broadly correspond to the key objectives of health systems. The first objective concerns ensuring that patients can access the care that they need under the Government Guarantee Package on a timely basis. The second concerns the quality of care and whether it is adapted to patient needs. The third key goal concerns the resources allocated to the public health care system and whether this is sustainable over the longer haul. The final key issue concerns the scope for easing any overall resource constraints on the public health care system through improved efficiency of health care provision. The chapter concludes with a discussion of policies that can help improve system performance.