The role of a neurologist and a psychiatrist in providing medical care by mobile medical teams to rural residents 65 years and older

Organization of health care delivery for rural population worldwide is considered as a difficult task, and the Moscow region is not an exception. Attendances of mobile medical teams (MMTs) are used to improve access and provide health care to the population of remote areas. The authors of this study initiated a pilot project for the inclusion of a neurologist and a psychiatrist in the MMTs content due to the prevalence of diseases of the nervous system, circulatory system, mental and behavioural disorders among population older than working age, insufficient curability of these states in standard conditions. Objective. To assess the prospectivity of including neurologists and psychiatrists in MMTs content to improve access to primary health care (PHC) for rural population older than working age undergoing regular medical check-up. Material and methods. The pilot project included 142 patients older than working age undergoing regular medical check-up on a primary neurological or mental diseases and living in rural areas on the service territory of the health facility providing PHC. Results. Team work of the territorial compulsory medical insurance fund of the Moscow region, the health maintenance organization and the administration of the medical organization providing PHC on the implementation of neurologist and psychiatrist in MMTs content has ensured the access to health care in the remote area for rural population older than working age undergoing regular medical check-up. Conclusion. Improvement of patients’ health status due to reduced frequency of exacerbations of chronic diseases and longer remission has been noted, which contributed to a reduction in the frequency of rehospitalizations.