Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

In case of illness Russians still prefer going to public hospitals rather than to private medical institutions. An overwhelmoing part of the population prefers self-treatment.

MOSCOW, December 6, 2012. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning how Russians tackle diseases: how many respondents go to medical institutions, state-owned or private; how many respondents choose self-treatment and other strategies.

Services of free public hospitals are still more popular among Russians than the services of private centers. If needed, more than half of Russians (55%) go to state-owned hospitals, and the share of such respondents is increasing year by year (in 2008 - 50%). Typical clients of public hospitals are retired persons (68%) and Russians with average level of income (62%).

Only 6% of respondents prefer getting treatment in a private clinic.  Those who use the services of private hospitals are middle-aged Russians (9%) and respondents with high level of income (10%).

The overwhelming majority of Russians prefer combating diseases on their own (33%).  Self-treatment is chosen by respondents aged 25-34 (38%), and Russians with an income lower than average (37%).

Only few Russians take a laissez-faire attitude expecting that the disease will pass without treatment (3%), or go to traditional healers (2%).

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on April 15-16, 2012. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

 

What do you do when you get ill? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

July 2006

March 2008

April 2009

April 2012

Going to free public hospital/clinic

52

50

51

55

Self-treatment

37

35

33

33

Going to private hospital/center

6

7

8

6

Using traditional healing (alternative medicine)

2

2

2

1

Doing nothing, taking a laissez-faire attitude

3

6

4

4

Hard to tell

1

1

2

1

What do you do when you get ill? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

Total respondents

Men

Women

Going to free public hospital/clinic

55

53

56

Going to private hospital/center

6

5

8

Self-treatment

33

34

32

Using traditional healing (alternative medicine)

1

1

1

Doing nothing, taking a laissez-faire attitude

4

7

2

Hard to tell

1

1

1

What do you do when you get ill? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

Total respondents

Aged 18-24

Aged 25-34

Aged 35-44

Aged 45-59

60 and more

Going to free public hospital/clinic

55

52

50

48

53

68

Going to private hospital/center

6

6

6

9

6

4

Self-treatment

33

36

38

35

35

21

Using traditional healing (alternative medicine)

1

1

1

1

0

1

Doing nothing, taking a laissez-faire attitude

4

3

3

6

4

4

Hard to tell

1

1

2

0

1

2

What do you do when you get ill? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

Total respondents

Low income

Income below average

Average income

Income above average

High income

Going to free public hospital

55

55

52

62

55

54

Going to private hospital/center

6

2

4

4

8

10

Self-treatment

33

37

37

28

32

30

Using traditional healing (alternative medicine)

1

0

1

1

1

1

Doing nothing, taking a laissez-faire attitude

4

4

5

4

4

3

Hard to tell

1

1

 

0

1

1

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!

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