Medical care for children with cancer in the Siberian Federal District

Abstract

background. The analysis of the quality of medical care for children with cancer is based on statistical data. Evaluation of the results obtained is also the basis of the strategy for the development of medical care for this category of patients. aim: analysis of the main parameters characterizing medical care for children with cancer in the Siberian Federal District. material and methods. The reports for 2017 on the health protection of 11/12 (91.6 %) constituent entities of the Russian Federation belonging to the Siberian Federal District were analyzed (Irkutsk Region did not provide data). results. In 2017 the number of children aged 0–17 years was 3 722 470, the number of pediatric hospital beds for children with cancer (ages 0–17 years) was 260 (0,7 per 10,000), and the average number of bed-days per year was 342.2. In 3 (25 %) constituent entities of the Russian Federation, there were no departments of pediatric oncology and in 1 (8,3 %) there were no hospital beds for children with cancer. The number of physicians, who specialized in children’s cancer was 49, of them 32 (65,3 %, 0,08 per 10,000, ages 0–17 years) had a certificate of a pediatric oncologist. In 1 (8,3 %) constituent entity of the Russian Federation, there were no pediatric oncologists. For children aged 0–17 years, the cancer incidence rate was 11.7 per 100,000 children, the cancer mortality rate was 2,2 per 100,000, and one-year mortality rate was 7,4 %. 188 (43,2 %) primary cancer patients were referred to medical institutions of the Federal District, and 17 (3,9 %) primary patients left the territory of the Russian Federation. conclusion. The low incidence and mortality rates can be explained by the lost of reliable follow-up data. It is advisable to introduce electronic health record systems. For reliable estimation of hospital bed supply for children with cancer and percent of patients referred to medical centers for treatment, it is necessary to carry out a clinical audit. Deficiency of pediatric oncologists should be eliminated by reforming the training of medical personnel.