Prevention
Prevention
Prevention is not just a one-off check-up but also keeping order between visits. The main article in this section explains how to keep your own follow-up plan: record what you agreed with your doctor, keep your documents, don’t miss follow-up visits or the preventive check-up and dispanserizatsiya available under Russia’s OMS. The result: one clear record of what needs to be done, when and why, followed by a table of check-up intervals in Russia.
Your doctor sees you a few times a year, but only you know your life between appointments. A follow-up plan connects these two views.
Before you start
- A notebook, folder or phone note — one place for all your records
- Your latest reports, discharge summaries and referrals
- An up-to-date list of medicines and supplements
- Details of your primary care clinic and your OMS policy number (in Russia)
- Dates of past check-ups and dispanserizatsiya, if you remember them
Write down the outcome the same day
While the conversation is fresh, note what the doctor said, which tests were ordered and by when. A week later, the details are forgotten.
Hypothetical example: “GP, 12 March: do the blood tests on the referral, come back with the results in two weeks.”
Split instructions into “do” and “watch”
Some items require action — book an appointment, have a test, come back. Others simply mean keeping an eye on how you feel and telling the doctor if something changes.
Hypothetical example: in the “do” column, booking a specialist; in the “watch” column, how the symptom you came in with changes.
Set the dates right away
If the doctor said “come back in a month”, book now or at least set a reminder for when booking opens. A vague “later” easily turns into “never”.
Hypothetical example: a calendar reminder a week before the date saying “book a follow-up appointment”.
Keep documents in one folder
Store reports, discharge summaries and result forms by date. Under Russian law, you have the right to review your medical records and obtain copies and extracts, so anything missing can be requested from the provider.
Hypothetical example: a paper folder with sleeves by year and the same documents in a separate album on your phone.
Keep a short log of changes
Don’t record everything — note what the doctor asked you to track and noticeable changes in how you feel. Such notes help you answer “how have you been?” more precisely at the next appointment.
Hypothetical example: one line a week — what got better, what got worse, what’s new.
Don’t forget preventive check-ups
Besides monitoring for a specific reason, adults in Russia are entitled to a preventive medical check-up and dispanserizatsiya under OMS. Intervals depend on age — see the table below.
Hypothetical example: at the start of the year, note in your plan whether dispanserizatsiya is due for you this year.
Arrange a day off with your employer
In Russia, the Labour Code (Art. 185.1) gives employees one working day every three years for dispanserizatsiya, keeping their job and pay; pre-retirement employees and pensioners get two days a year. The day is agreed by written request.
Hypothetical example: the request was submitted two weeks ahead, and the date was chosen so as not to clash with colleagues’ holidays.
Prepare questions for the next visit in advance
Questions come up between appointments — write them in the same plan. By the visit you’ll have a ready list instead of trying to remember everything at the door.
Hypothetical example: an “ask next time” section at the end of your notes, where you add questions as they arise.
Common mistakes
- Relying on memory and not writing down what you agreed with your doctor
- Keeping result forms and reports in different places and losing them before the next visit
- Skipping a follow-up appointment because you “feel better”
- Changing your treatment on your own without discussing it with your doctor
- Not having your blood pressure measured at appointments because nothing bothers you: according to the WHO, hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher on two different days, and many people have no symptoms
- Forgetting about the check-up and dispanserizatsiya you are entitled to while nothing bothers you
Alternatives
- If keeping notes is hard, ask the doctor or nurse to write the plan down on paper at the end of the appointment
- If you prefer digital, an ordinary calendar with reminders and a folder of document photos will do
- If you see several doctors, keep a separate section in your plan for each and show each of them the same list of medicines
- If someone close to you helps, agree on which of you is responsible for notes and reminders
Checklist
- The outcome of the last appointment is written down
- Instructions are split into actions and monitoring
- Dates of the next visits are in the calendar
- Documents are in one folder, sorted by date
- You know whether dispanserizatsiya is due this year
- A list of questions for the next appointment is started
Check-ups and dispanserizatsiya in Russia
| What | How often | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Preventive medical check-up | Every year | Free under the OMS policy at your primary care clinic |
| Dispanserizatsiya at ages 18–39 | Every three years | Free under the OMS policy at your primary care clinic; procedure approved by the Russian Ministry of Health |
| Dispanserizatsiya from age 40 | Every year | Free under the OMS policy at your primary care clinic; procedure approved by the Russian Ministry of Health |
| Time off work for dispanserizatsiya | One working day every three years, keeping your job and pay | By written request to the employer, Labour Code of the Russian Federation, Art. 185.1 |
| Time off for pre-retirement employees and pensioners | Two working days every year | By written request to the employer, Labour Code of the Russian Federation, Art. 185.1 |
Related sections
- Ask your doctor
Questions worth asking your doctor before an appointment, when a test is ordered and after you get a report.
- Glossary
Words from the doctor’s office, referrals, discharge summaries and science news — brief, with no reference values.
- Topics
Topic map: seeing a doctor, tests and lab work, documents and reports, rights and choices. Plus the article catalogue.
Sources
- Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation — procedure for preventive medical check-ups and dispanserizatsiya
- Labour Code of the Russian Federation (Art. 185.1)
- Federal Law No. 323-FZ “On the Fundamentals of Health Protection of Citizens in the Russian Federation”, Art. 22
- WHO — Hypertension
Information is current as of the date of preparation. In Russia, the rules of compulsory medical insurance (OMS), the procedure for preventive check-ups and dispanserizatsiya, and the requirements for medical records and remote consultations may change — check the current documents and confirm details with your clinic or your health insurance company. Healthcare systems in other countries work differently.