A study conducted by AlfaStrakhovanie showed that only 22% of Russians made an appointment with doctors without seeking information first. The majority, 48%, first examine reviews on the Internet and social networks before deciding to see a doctor.
The survey also found that 43 percent of respondents visit healthcare facilities regularly. 64% of them receive treatment under compulsory health insurance (CHI), while 31% consult private doctors or benefit from voluntary health insurance (VHI). The remaining participants only occasionally consult specialists or consult their family physician.
As for recommendations, participants, as a rule, turn only to district therapists without prior verification. Highly specialized experts prefer to look at reviews on the Internet. At the same time, 28% of respondents believe that the presence of critical ratings makes reviews more credible. Additionally, 17% pay attention to review frequency and try to stay away from doctors who have little information about them or whose reviews are outdated. Interestingly, 56% of respondents write their own reviews after visiting the doctor, and 28% are ready to complain to the supervisory authorities in case of poor service. Self-medication has become popular with a third of respondents relying on online advice or recommendations from friends, with 21% taking their own tests.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
