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Starting from January 1, a new system for evaluating everyday functioning became operational in Ukraine. It has completely replaced the old mechanism of the medical-social expert commissions (MSEC).
This new system is centered around individuals, focusing on their real needs and quality of life. It is built on principles of transparency, modern digital tools, and the involvement of practicing doctors. The key shift lies in moving from a formal disability status assignment to a comprehensive assessment of a person’s health and daily functioning.
Assessments are conducted by expert teams in hospitals chosen by the individual. The process is as close to the person’s place of residence or treatment as possible and can be done in-person, remotely, or via outreach visits.
In the first 3 months of operation, the system has allowed decisions to be made for over 100,000 people, engaging more than 40,000 doctors who are creating referrals and making decisions in the digital environment.
‘These numbers are evidence of the scale of the transformation. For the first time, the assessment system has become unified for the entire country, without discrepancies in the regions and with the possibility of quick access to decisions. The system is digital – convenient and transparent,’ notes Mariia Karchevych, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine for Digital Development.
The system enables the creation of electronic referrals by doctors of any specialty. All subsequent actions (formation of expert teams, case review, and decision-making) take place electronically. This allows for assessments to be conducted in a format convenient for the individual:
‘This is a worthy example of digital transformation where the person is at the center. We see how digital solutions can change systems, making them fair, accessible, and effective for everyone,’ emphasizes Victor Liakh, East Europe Foundation President.
The new electronic system not only simplifies the process but also creates a transparent and secure model for assessing everyday functioning. Key advantages include:
Transparency. Information about the work of expert teams, their profiles, the location of assessments, contact details of administrators, and decision statistics are available on public dashboards of the Ministry of Health. This allows for monitoring and tracking the entire assessment process.
Security. The system stores the history of all decisions, doctors’ signatures, and documents, making manipulations impossible and ensuring that the entire case history is preserved.
Convenience for doctors. Doctors can create electronic referrals, adding scanned documents to them. Nothing gets lost, and expert teams, in turn, have access to the complete set of documents in one place.
Transparent organization of teamwork. All expert teams work according to an approved schedule formed by the head or administrator of the facility. The system allows for viewing team workload, planning schedules, and tracking decision statistics – this ensures a fair and objective distribution of cases.
Confidentiality of the process. Until the day of the assessment, doctors do not know whose case they will be considering, and the patient does not know who will be on the team. This reduces the corruption risks.
Electronic signing of decisions. Each decision is approved with the electronic signature of all members of the expert team, which guarantees its authenticity.
Inclusivity. Patients now have the possibility of undergoing assessment remotely, in absentia, or with a home visit has been introduced – without compromising the quality of decisions.
The new electronic system for assessing everyday functioning is built on the Diia.Engine platform, complies with international GovStack standards, has a comprehensive information security system, and is already used for providing public services in other areas.
Throughout 2025, the electronic assessment system will be integrated with the electronic healthcare system and other state registers. This will ensure continuity of support for individuals – from referral to receiving social assistance, adaptation, and rehabilitation.
The electronic system for assessing everyday functioning was developed by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and with the support of Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program implemented by East Europe Foundation.