Providing the Population With Medical Services in the Context of Emotional Intelligence: Evidence of Russian Regions

Introduction

In recent years, improving the efficiency of healthcare has become a key aspect of the development of national economies. In a number of studies, for example (Preston, 2007; Shkolnikov et al., 2019), it has been observed that there is a strong positive correlation between the health of the population of countries and their gross domestic product. Higher income is the chief criteria in countries with better health than in countries with lower health status. The state of health is an important characteristic of human potential, therefore, the improvement of the health system plays an important role in public policy (Milcent, 2016; Durrani, 2016; Al-Hanawi et al., 2019; Britto et al., 2018). The healthcare system of modern countries is aimed at ensuring an optimal return on the resources spent, as well as preserving the health of the population. The problem of healthcare efficiency is especially relevant today in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (Haldane et al., 2021; Chubarova, 2021; Karan & Wadhera, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic affected most countries and demanded an increase in the role of healthcare as a system that ensures the security and survival of the nation, as well as the internal stability of modern economies.

Russia currently has the Healthcare Development Strategy for the period up to 2025 (2022), which includes an assessment of the current state, challenges and threats to the development of the healthcare system, defines the goal, main tasks, priority areas, mechanisms for implementing the development of healthcare (Reddy et al., 2020Chowdhary & Acharjya, 2020;). In addition, the activities included in the National Project “Healthcare” are carried out in parallel (On national goals and strategic objectives, 2022), aimed at improving the availability of medical care, improving its quality and comfort. Among other things, it is planned to create an optimal network of medical organizations in cities and villages, including in hard-to-reach territories of Russia. It is important for the Government and regional authorities to understand the processes taking place in the field of medical care. Without which it is impossible to effectively manage the health sector and achieve the goals set.

Contemporary researchers have been attracted by the importance of regional characteristics of the activities of medical organizations (Karani, 2014; Lacouz & Midler, 2021; Sokanto & Bruise, 2021). Our research contributes to the study of these problems using the example of the Russian regions.

Some of the modern scientific studies draw attention to the fact that the quality of medical services and patient satisfaction largely depends on the emotional intelligence of healthcare workers. Articles by the following authors have been devoted to this problem (Kadadi & Shankargouda, 2020; Kaya et al., 2018). Doctors and nurses show increased sensitivity to the needs and emotions of the patient (Weng et al., 2008). This improves medical care and patient care, as well as solves their psychological problems in critical situations (Borges et al., 2019). It should be noted that emotional intelligence is conditioned by direct contacts between medical workers and patients (Durkin et al., 2019).