SOCIAL PRACTICES OF ENSURING PATIENTS INTERESTS IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER IN THE SVERDLOVSK REGION

Abstract

Introduction. The Commissioner for Human Rights occupies a special place among many subjects of protection of patients' rights. At the same time, there are practically no relevant studies analyzing his activities taking into account the current socio-political situation. This article intends to fill this gap.
Materials. The article analyzes regulatory and legal sources, statistical information and data from the annual reports of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, as well as in other subjects of the Urals Federal District in 2021-2023.
Methodology and research methods. The authors rely on the traditions of understanding of «social practices» laid down by the classics of world and Russian sociological doctrine. The case method is used to understand general trends, as well as the method of comparative analysis of «social practices» of the Commissioner for Human Rights in different subjects of the Urals Federal District.
Results and conclusions. Along with the analysis of regulated social practices, the article for the first time systematizes non-regulated (initiative) social practices to protect the rights of patients in the activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights, which allow the needs of a particular citizen to be conveyed to the authorities. In addition to formally regulated social practices, such as reviewing complaints and appeals from citizens; conducting personal appointments; participating in meetings of the Social Policy Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region; and presenting the Commissioner's annual report at a meeting of the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region, the authors have identified non-regulated (proactive) social practices implemented by the Commissioner for Human Rights: requests and appeals in defense of patient rights to the Ministry of Health of the Sverdlovsk Region; joint personal appointments of the Commissioner with representatives of state bodies; visits of the Commissioner to municipalities of the Sverdlovsk Region (meetings with applicants, meetings with labor collectives at enterprises; visits to medical institutions); appeal of the Commissioner to the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region or directly to the Committee on Social Policy with proposals for legislative regulation of problematic issues related to the interests and rights of patients). A comparative analysis of social practices implemented by Commissioners for Human Rights of the Urals Federal District will make it possible to diagnose typical problems and organize targeted work to protect patients' rights.