Progress in the development of general practice / family medicine in the city of Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation)

In previous years, indeed in some respects preceding the establishment of the Russian Federation, consideration had been given to the establishment of new approaches to general medical practice in Russia. Particular attention centred upon the establishment of Family Medicine and the preparation of doctors as Family Practitioners to advance this initiative. A number of pilot studies were initiated, including in the city of Saint Petersburg. These were intended to provide real-world opportunities to test and develop new and more effective approaches to primary health care that would more efficiently integrate with secondary care. The authors were involved in the initial pilot studies in the mid to late 1990s and subsequent follow-up projects to further advance the initiatives in the early years of the 21st century (20022010). This brief paper reports on a review of progress made in respect of the above initiatives. It is not at this time a comprehensive evaluation of the healthcare systems as they now operate. The authors nevertheless present some indications of satisfactory progress across a range of practices, some insights into challenges that have arisen, and some suggestions that might be helpful in the current rounds of strategic planning for health.