Tvoemisto.tv asked therapist Tetiana Tsinkevych from the NOVO Center for Medical Innovations about how to sign a declaration with a therapist at a private medical center and which services the state covers so patients don’t have to pay.

Light green cabinets and corridors, comfortable sofas, friendly staff at the reception, and individual protective equipment—everything is designed for the convenience of visitors: parents with young children, elderly people, and those using wheelchairs. Waiting is as comfortable as possible, with appointments at clearly defined times. Many Ukrainians are accustomed to thinking that free medical care is only available in public hospitals. However, thanks to the Medical Guarantee Program (NHSU), patients can sign declarations with family doctors and therapists at private clinics, receiving necessary services for free. One such facility is the NOVO Center for Medical Innovations in Lviv, located at 45a Chornovola Avenue, Building 4.

At the NOVO Center for Medical Innovations, therapists are available with whom you can sign declarations and receive free medical care. For those interested in signing such a declaration, please tell us more about it.

Since private medical institutions contracted by the NHSU are equal participants in the medical space, our center also has therapists, family doctors, and pediatricians with whom people of various age groups can sign declarations and receive a free package of primary care services at the state’s expense.

The number of patients who have already signed declarations with NOVO therapists is quite large and continues to grow, but there is still an opportunity to join. Every day, entire families come to our clinic for consultations or assistance: they inquire, ask about the doctors, and stay with us. Adults go to therapists, children to pediatricians. It’s very convenient.

What is needed for a patient to sign a declaration with a NOVO therapist?

To sign a declaration with a therapist at the NOVO Center, you don’t need much—just a desire to entrust your health to a specific doctor and a few documents: a passport, identification code, and a phone number to which a confirmation code will be sent once you’ve signed the agreement with the doctor for receiving services.

You can even sign the declaration online if that’s more comfortable for the patient. However, you’ll eventually need to come in for an examination and bring the required documents.

Tell us how to get an appointment with a therapist at the NOVO Center.

To start, it’s enough to call the reception and book an appointment. If the patient is signing a declaration with a therapist for the first time, they can come for an examination, get acquainted, discuss any concerns, exchange contacts, and talk about a care plan. It all depends on how often the patient gets sick, what has already been diagnosed, or whether they have chronic conditions.

If the declaration has already been signed, you can simply call the reception and book a convenient time.

Who are your patients now?

We therapists see only adult patients—starting from 18 years old. If we break it down further by age, this includes both younger and older generations. Of course, younger and middle-aged people are more digitized, better informed about new developments, and more likely to seek out and take advantage of good offers for the public, often signing declarations with therapists at private medical institutions. They understand that high-quality care and excellent service can be received at a facility without queues or tickets. On the other hand, older people are more accustomed to visiting polyclinics, sometimes even preferring that “ritual”: coming in, standing in line, talking, and complaining. They think that if it’s private, it must be expensive. Fortunately, that’s not the case.

I often hear from my new patients questions like, “What exactly is free here?” or “Do I have to pay for this?” For people, the most valuable resource is time. So, when there’s an opportunity to provide all the necessary medical care at one center, in one location, why not take advantage of it?

Moreover, in addition to Lviv residents, many patients from various regions of Ukraine have entrusted their health to us. There are also internally displaced persons for whom it’s important to have a place to turn to.

From my personal experience, I can say that some patients followed me from another clinic, while others became my declarants after appointments at NOVO. It’s comfortable here, with a convenient location in the city center and qualified doctors. Another advantage for declared patients at the medical center is free consultations and a certain package of tests.

What issues do patients come to a therapist with, and what medical services at the NOVO Center can be received for free if a declaration with a therapist has been signed?

You should see a therapist when you feel unwell, experience weakness, have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, pain around the eyes, nose, or ears, chest pain, nausea, rashes or other allergic conditions, swelling of the face or lower limbs, as well as for acute respiratory infections and the flu. A therapist provides ongoing monitoring for patients with chronic conditions, consults before surgical interventions to assess the risks or benefits, and offers emergency care during exacerbations of chronic conditions.

If a declaration has been signed between the patient and the therapist, the examination includes: consultation, history-taking, collecting complaints, tests (general blood test, glucose test, cholesterol test, general urine test), rapid tests for hepatitis, HIV, coronavirus, and flu, as well as palpation (feeling) of lymph nodes, percussion (tapping) of the body, auscultation (listening to breathing in the lungs and heart tones), measuring blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and an electrocardiogram. All of this is free!

If needed, the therapist can refer the patient for an ultrasound, MRI, or CT at the NOVO Center on 45A Chornovola Avenue, Building 4, or on Pylyp Orlyk Street, 4.

How long does a therapist’s examination take?

A therapist’s consultation lasts 30 minutes. We usually start the examination by measuring temperature, pulse, and blood pressure, inspecting mucous membranes and skin, performing palpation, then assessing heart rhythm, lung function, and bowel activity, examining the abdomen, neck, and checking neurological reflexes. After collecting the patient’s history and complaints, we thoroughly review their medical documentation related to their health history. If necessary, we create a treatment plan and order further tests.

And what do you need to pay for at the NOVO Center if the patient needs more than just a therapist’s examination?

You only need to pay for services that are not included in the primary care package covered by the NHSU.

If a patient needs additional consultations or tests, there are two ways to address this. First: the doctor issues an electronic referral for tests or examinations, which is valid at all public institutions. This service can be provided by any doctor working within the NHSU system who is authorized to sign contracts. The referral will be valid at all public and some private institutions. With the results provided by the specialist chosen by the patient, they can return to the NOVO therapist.

Second: if the patient wants to see a specialist at a private institution only, the medical center can accept them on a paid basis. At our medical center, patients who have signed declarations with therapists or family doctors receive a 20% discount on all consultations and diagnostics. The offers are very attractive, and we’re committed to ensuring our patients receive treatment in comfortable conditions with qualified doctors.

Do you practice online consultations?

It depends on the issue, the patient’s condition, and their conditions. Online consultations are only possible as follow-ups, after the doctor has already examined the patient in person during the initial consultation and gathered a medical history, to adjust treatment or review test or examination results.

If a cold starts and there’s a high fever, we can monitor the situation online for a while. Then the patient comes in with completed tests, which saves time for both the doctor and the patient. At the in-person appointment, the prescribed treatment can be adjusted.

Telemedicine is working and developing, but physical presence is also necessary. After all, we shouldn’t forget about preventive check-ups and the fact that it’s easier to prevent conditions than to treat them. So, you should see doctors regularly.

I often stay in touch with my patients through social media: they write to me, and I provide advice. In urgent situations, they even call me outside of office hours.

With a large number of flu and cold cases now, are you able to examine and help all your declared patients?

Yes, in recent weeks, it has become harder to work because there’s an increase in flu, coronavirus, and respiratory viral infections. Each patient falls ill and recovers differently, so the workload is indeed significant. I have several hundred patients, and my schedule is booked two to three days in advance, but we manage steadily. Patients at the NOVO Center come by appointment at a specific time, so there are no crowds in the hallways.

In your opinion, is there a difference between the work of a therapist at a private institution and a public one?

Practically none. The only difference is that everything is much more comfortable, and the service is better.

How often can patients visit a therapist at a private clinic and receive free medical care?

There’s no limit on visits or examinations. A patient can come to a therapist at a private clinic whenever they need to. Each time might involve a different issue: a cold, a chronic condition requiring monitoring, treatment, vaccination, etc.

Does a therapist from the NOVO Center make house calls?

If necessary—yes. Especially if it involves people who require palliative care and are physically unable to come to the medical center themselves.

If a patient decides to stop using the services of a therapist at a public polyclinic and sign a declaration with a NOVO therapist, explain what’s needed for this.

First, choose a doctor, then call the reception and book an appointment, specifying the purpose, which is to sign a declaration. The future patient will be told how the doctor works, their schedule, and how to get an appointment. At the same time, there’s no need to go to the previous doctor with whom the patient was declared, write anything, or terminate anything. Everything transfers automatically.

If a person comes for a consultation and wants to sign a declaration with the therapist right away, that visit will be free. But if a patient comes for a consultation and doesn’t sign a declaration, it’s considered a private consultation, and they’ll need to pay for that service.

Lastly, is it possible for NOVO therapists to see patients without a declaration, but on a paid basis?

Yes, of course. The doctor can conduct private appointments and examinations on a paid basis. You can find more details on the NOVO Center for Medical Innovations website.

Olha Shveda

Photos and video: Tvoe Misto

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