ASSESSMENT OF THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR’S RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FROM MILITARY PERSONNEL DURING INPATIENT TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION

Abstract

Topicality. The study’s relevance is determined by the need for further development and improvement of the healthcare system (HS) from a people-centred approach, enhancing inpatient medical care and rehabilitation for injured military personnel, and ensuring the HS’s responsiveness to requests from vulnerable population groups. The goal of the work is to assess the healthcare system’s response to requests from military personnel during inpatient treatment and rehabilitation. Materials and methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study with expert assessment of medical records of 69 military personnel treated in inpatient facilities in Dnipro city until 2022, predominantly hospitalized due to traumatic injuries (81.2%), was conducted. 7 senior healthcare organizers were assessed with a high level of competence (>0.80) and agreement of opinions (>0.60). The program included traditional approaches to medical documentation processing and evaluation of the sector’s response to soldiers’ requests. An expert assessment card was used, and developed based on international approaches. Each element and the overall responsiveness indicator were evaluated in percentages (maximum 100%). Data were statistically processed using descriptive and analytical statistics, utilizing Microsoft Excel and R (version 4.2.1), with results considered significant at p<0.05. Research results. Compared to the classical distribution of the two main spheres in the formation of the integral responsiveness indicator, there was a shift in the contribution of the HS response to the requests of military personnel towards increasing the weight of the domain focused on the patient as a client and objective indicators, primarily the promptness of medical service. The healthcare system’s response to military personnel’s requests regarding rehabilitation averages 79.1% (95% CI 78.9–79.3). In 78.3% of assessed hospitalizations, this response can be increased to the maximum level by enhancing respect for dignity, improving communication, confidentiality, and patient autonomy. With dignity respect exceeding 76.2%, the chances of improving soldiers’ response to requests increase by 18.4 times (p=0.047). Conclusions. The study revealed a high level of the system’s responsiveness to military requests, yet optimization is possible by increasing respect for dignity, confidentiality, autonomy, and communication, which will enhance the HS’s responsiveness and improve inpatient treatment and rehabilitation for military personnel.