Implementation of the national health project in training of medical personnel

BACKGROUND: The Russian healthcare system is undergoing significant changes associated with the digital transformation of society and setting new strategic tasks for preserving health, which requires new approaches to the training of medical personnel (MP) in the discipline 'Public Health and Healthcare'. AIM: To study and propose directions for improvement of MP training on the priority issues of public health protection in consistence with strategic tasks of the national project. METHODS: Twenty-one experts from the 'Public Health and Healthcare' Educational and Methodological Commission of the Coordinating Council for Education in 'Healthcare and Medical Sciences' from 20 universities producing medical workers, were surveyed. The study was conducted in two stages: the first involved an analysis of the topics included in the 'Public Health and Healthcare' discipline at higher medical education institutions, and the second involved studying the use of modern digital and information technologies in the activities of medical organizations affiliated with the experts' universities. RESULTS: The survey revealed that the following topics are taught not in full volume: 'Transformation of Primary Healthcare Processes' (67.0%), 'Digitalization of Healthcare' (77.0%), 'Delegation of Functions between Medical Personnel' (86.0%), 'Use of Lean Technologies in Medical Organizations' (87.0%), 'Maintaining Continuity Between Stages of Medical Care' (95.5%), and the topics concerning prophylactic medical examination service. Furthermore, the topic of 'Screening for Hepatitis C Antibodies in Citizens Aged 25 and Older' is practically not realized (35.2%). The following problems in the digitalization of healthcare were identified: 'Automation of various reports' (88.2%), 'Support for the appointment/visit process' (76.4%), 'Use of doctor-doctor teleconsultations' (64.7%), 'Use of doctor-paramedic teleconsultations' (58.8%), 'Use of drones for delivery of biomaterials to the laboratory' (42.0%), 'Unified registry of registered persons' (76.4%), 'Personalized accounting of medical care, including high-tech medical care' (70.5%), 'Registry of electronic medical documents' (82.3%), 'Hybrid rehabilitation using telemedicine technologies' (47.0%). CONCLUSION: To improve the training of medical personnel in the context of the reformation of the Russian healthcare system, it is advisable that the program 'Public Health and Healthcare' of higher medical education institutions include the following topics: 'Transformation of Primary Healthcare Processes', 'Digitalization of Healthcare', 'Screening for Hepatitis C Antibodies in Citizens Aged 25 and Older', 'Delegation of Functions Between Medical Personnel', 'Use of Lean Technologies in Medical Organizations', 'Maintaining Continuity Between Stages of Medical Care', and 'Medical Examinations of Combat Veterans'.