In 2025, Ukraine launched an innovative system for assessing daily functioning, replacing outdated paper-based procedures with a transparent electronic approach. This modern model focuses on the actual impact of illness or injury on a person’s daily life, determining the need for disability status based on their ability to care for themselves, communicate, learn and work.
As of 4 June, more than 254,000 cases have already been entered into the new system. Of these, 46,289 are digitised materials transferred from Medical and Social Expert Commissions (MSECs), and 208,450 are new electronic referrals generated by attending physicians. In total, more than 220,000 cases (222,258) have already been reviewed. Decisions on disability status were made in 162,285 cases. At the same time, in 42,455 cases, the appeals concerned other issues, such as updating an individual rehabilitation programme or determining the degree of loss of professional capacity, which does not involve determining disability status.
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How the new system works
Assessments are carried out by 1,422 expert teams consisting of 6,896 specialists working in healthcare facilities. The electronic system is actively used by 69,974 attending physicians, and 893 administrators of healthcare facilities support the process.
The system offers flexible forms of assessment: in-person, part-time, remotely or on-site. The format is determined individually, taking into account the person’s mobility, available documents and the need for a personal examination. The most common are in-person reviews in medical institutions (173,162 cases). However, for people with severe mobility impairments, alternative forms are provided: absentee assessment on the basis of documents (11,016 cases), remote assessment using telemedicine (2,235 cases) and assessment with a visit to the place of residence or treatment (908 cases).
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The most common issues and the most frequent diagnoses
The new system covers a wide range of applications – from the initial determination of disability (110,091 applications) to scheduled reassessment (115,379,684 applications) in connection with the expiration of the disability period. Also common are appeals regarding changes in health status (7,562), prescription of rehabilitation aids (3,568) or determination of the degree of loss of professional capacity (2,699).
The most frequent diagnostic groups referred to the system include circulatory system diseases (10,381), neoplasms (8,970), diseases of the musculoskeletal system (9,574), diseases of the nervous system (6,638) and injuries (5,401). A significant number of appeals also relate to endocrine diseases, eating disorders, eye diseases and mental disorders.
Users of the system
The assessment system is available to anyone in need of support, regardless of age, employment or gender. Among the cases already processed, a significant number are unemployed (133,551), employed (88,366) and pensioners (48,170). The proportion of men in the system is currently higher, which may be due to the effects of hostilities, traumas and chronic conditions arising from participation in the defence of Ukraine.
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