printRussian Doctor and Patient:
Frictions of Interaction and Influencing Factors
Belova N.I.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Head of Department of Applied Sociology, Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia n.i.belova@mail.ru
Belova N.I. Russian Doctor and Patient: Frictions of Interaction and Influencing Factors. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 6. P. 72-84
This article examines the fundamental factors shaping communication within doctor-patient interaction models. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of public opinion surveys and expert interviews with physicians, the study identifies systemic issues emerging within the communicative processes of contemporary Russian healthcare. The article highlights the contradictory perceptions of the medical profession in the public consciousness, specifically addressing the dissonance in representations of the physician’s image and the changing dynamics of the profession’s social prestige. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of communicative risks that trigger increased conflict and a decline in institutional trust toward the healthcare s ystem a s a whole. The author identifies a profound gap between the declarative paradigm of patient-centered care and actual practices shaped by the marketization of medicine. The study concludes by arguing that neither the professional medical community nor the general public are fully prepared for a transition toward a partnership-based interaction model or shared clinical decision-making
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