[Cardiological service: essential components and functions].

: A system of cardiological service consisting of five essential components is described: profile of diseases (the object of care and the subject of distributing labour between physicians); qualification of a cardiologist; continuity of care; qualification of a therapist; management. Four main groups of typical targets for cardiological service units are identified. For the purpose of evaluating the performance of the unit of this medical service in dynamics it is suggested to consider it as consisting of three elements (therapist-patient-cardiologist), and the quality of work of each physician as consisting of four interrelated blocks of operations: to assess the health status and diagnose the disease, to make a diagnosis and register it officially, to choose and prescribe treatment, to determine the place for further treatment and follow-up. The data provided could be used for promoting the structure of cardiological service and its components and for choosing the unified method for their further investigation.