Professional medical consultation: history and modernity

Abstract

Introduction. The article is devoted to the 100-year period (1921-2021) of the development of medical professional orientation (MPO) and medical professional counseling (MPC) in Russia. The aim of MPO is a helping student to develop their professional self-determination, taking into account the state of their health and the possible adverse impact of occupational factors on the pathogenesis of existing health disorders. MPO is performed by a doctor in two forms. The first is to introduce adolescents and their parents to the medical problems of choosing a profession. The second - MPC - individual counselling of persons with health disorders and specific recommendations on occupations, places of study and rational employment. Medical professional counselling is a necessary element of medical support for schoolchildren. Over the past 100 years, the theoretical and methodological approaches to conducting MPO and MPC have changed. The purpose of this expert-analytical study is to determine the relevance, prominent trends, features and challenges of professional medical counselling in current socio-economic, scientific and technical conditions. Material and methods. scientific literature and methodological documents on the issues of occupational health of adolescents, MPO and MPC; 35-year experience of conducting MPC of adolescents in Yaroslavl (more than 3,500 schoolchildren), the experience of teaching the basics of MPC to students at the pediatric faculties of Sechenov University and Yaroslavl State Medical University, and experience of conducting career guidance work in the “Medical Sechenov Pre-University.” Results. The concept, principles, methods, and regulatory documents required for the MPO and MPC have been established to have undergone specific changes in connection with scientific and technological progress, new scientific data on the impact of occupational factors on the health of adolescents, changes in the structure of school morbidity, transformations in the system of vocational education and the reform of socio-economic conditions in Russia. Conclusions. Professional medical consultation remains relevant, methodological approaches require changes in connection with the digitalization of the economy, and the circle of consultants should include adolescents and young people.