Interregional Centers for Specialized Pediatric Surgical AId in Russia – Profile and Dislocation

Introduction. Russia needs to reform the stepwise model for delivering medical aid to children with surgical diseases and traumas mobilizing patients and those injured at specialized Interregional Centers (IRC). Purpose. To substantiate profiles and dislocation of IRC providing surgical aid to children in Russia. Material and methods. 103 specialists from 85 territorial entities of the Russian Federation presented their expert reviews concerning profiles and dislocation of IRC that provide surgical aid to children in accordance with the nomenclature of professions and administrative structure of the country. The expert reviews were analyzed using the methods of descriptive statistics to rate IRC profiles, their territorial dislocation, and focus on interaction of those surveyed with certain medical organizations. Consistency of expert opinions was estimated using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. Results. Experts indicated 14 activity profiles of IRC providing surgical aid to children. According to rating results, more than a half of positive estimates belonged to five priority profiles including surgery of neonates, neurosurgery, oncology, thoracic surgery and combustiolgy. As far as IRC dislocation is concerned, experts mainly considered medical organizations within a federal district of territorial entities of the Russian Federation. Total number (287) of references (by priority profiles) to hospitals within territorial entities of Russia was 4 times more than the respective estimate (66) for federally governed healthcare providers. Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology that served as a base for potential IRC (oncology) was the most in-demand (19 requests) federal structure. Conclusion. Community of professionals has come to a consolidated opinion according to which buildup of IRC providing care in neonatal surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, thoracic surgery, and combustiology at children’s hospitals in territorial entities of the Russian Federation and 13 federally governed clinical research centers is a significant factor of providing affordable and qualitative medical aid.