Statistics of mental emergency medical care teams in the Russian Federation

Introduction. The problems of ensuring accessibility and quality of medical care for patients with mental and behavioral disorders are pressing.

The purpose of the study: to evaluate the performance of specialized psychiatric emergency medical teams in the Russian Federation over the period 2010–2024.

Materials and methods. The materials of federal state statistics were used (form No. 40, 30) for the Russian Federation, 2010–2024. Statistical and analytical methods were used, MS Office Excel 2019.

Research results. The conducted study revealed 719.3±73.2 psychiatric brigades (6-hour shifts) of emergency medical care in the Russian Federation for 2010–2024, providing medical care to 421.5±47.5 thousand patients per year, which is 1.5±0.2% in the overall structure of emergency medical care brigades and 17.2±2.9% in the structure of specialized brigades. With a decrease in the total number of specialized brigades (by 30.1%), the share of psychiatric brigades increased by 43.9%. Of these, 177.2±6.2 brigades (shifts) (23.5±1.3%) function around the clock with an average workload of 1.6±0.3 patients per shift (6 hours) (or 6.6±1.2 patients per day). Annually, 43.7±3.9 thousand people (11.6±1.1% of patients) require medical evacuation. While the number of psychiatric teams remained relatively constant, a significant and statistically significant decrease (26.9%) in the number of people receiving medical care and a 27.3% decrease in the workload of these teams were significant.

Conclusion. The regional healthcare system must ensure rational routing of patients with mental and behavioral disorders, continuity of care, accessibility, and quality. Ambulance crews play a key role in this system.

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