The Model Law “On Digital Healthcare”: Problems and Prospects of Development in the Post-SOVIET Space

The world is on the verge of tremendous changes, moving from the post-industrial period to an economy based on digital and nanotechnology. Russia is actively pursuing strategies aimed at developing the digital economy and, in particular, digital innovations in healthcare. These innovations open up new opportunities for healthcare not only in Russia, but also in the CIS countries. After the collapse of the USSR, there has been diversity in the development of digital technologies in healthcare in the former Soviet republics. Currently, efforts to expand the electronic medical infrastructure are becoming a major component of the strategic initiatives of the CIS countries. An analysis of national strategies in this area for the near and long term shows that most CIS countries have already developed specific plans for the introduction of information and communication technologies in healthcare. The level of Internet accessibility (IA) in the CIS countries varies significantly: from extremely low in Turkmenistan (IA=1), average in Ukraine (IA=3), to above average in Azerbaijan (IA=4), Armenia (IA=4), Belarus (IA=4) and high in Kazakhstan (IA=5), Moldova (IA=5), Tajikistan (IA=5), Uzbekistan (IA=5), as well as the highest in Russia (IA=6). In the Russian Federation, 95% of medical institutions are connected to the network, of which 83.4% of hospitals and about 60% of all medical institutions have broadband access. In other CIS countries, this indicator corresponds to the regional average. One of the key indicators of the effectiveness of government actions in the field of digital medicine is the integration of projects on the widespread use of information and communication technologies into national strategies and action plans. The study shows that the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States differ in the level of implementation and integration of information and communication technologies. Tajikistan is characterized by the least integration activity (IA=3), while Kazakhstan, Moldova and Russia demonstrate the highest activity (IA=6). Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are next in terms of integration (IA=5), while Armenia and Ukraine occupy the middle position (IA=4). The average IA for the CIS countries is 4.82. In this regard, the interaction of the CIS states in the field of public health is becoming crucial, especially taking into account the social priorities of post-Soviet countries focused on the preservation of rights and freedoms, management of large-scale migration flows, transparency of borders, creation of a single economic space, as well as humanitarian and cultural cooperation between the countries. This is also due to the desire of society for social solidarity, ensuring a certain level of social protection, supporting equal opportunities and combating social exclusion and discrimination on any grounds.