STAFFING OF THE CLINICAL LABORATORY SERVICE OF SAINT PETERSBURG IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DELIVERY

Abstract

The growing importance of laboratory diagnostics in the primary health care delivery increases requirements regarding the staffing of the clinical laboratory service and determines the need for its examination. An analysis of the staffing of the clinical laboratory service in Saint Petersburg in primary health care delivery demonstrated that it largely corresponds to all-Russian and global trends, such as the predominance of mid-level professionals in the structure, reduction in the number of laboratory physicians and mid-level laboratory professionals, and a shortage of medical technologists. In general, the development of the personnel potential of the clinical laboratory service in primary health care delivery of Saint Petersburg in 2016–2021 can be considered favorable due to the increase in the staffing level of full-time rates of laboratory physicians and mid-level health professionals, raise in the number of positions and staff, as well as the staffing level of higher education (non-medical) professionals and a reduction in the part-time rate among laboratory physicians. At the same time, there is one of the lowest ratios of laboratory physicians and mid-level health professionals among the Russian regions, which requires the adoption of organizational measures to train midlevel laboratory professionals. An increase in the staffing level of higher education (non-medical) professionals is important for organizing high-tech research, which is significant in the context of the transformation to value-based healthcare and the laboratory monitoring of patients with chronic diseases.