a health literacy reference

Pozzdravlenie — a health literacy reference

Much of your health depends on decisions you make between doctor's appointments: whether to go for a check-up, whether to trust a dramatic headline, whether to buy a "miracle cure", what to ask during a visit. This site gathers clear explanations to help you make those decisions calmly and with confidence. We do not diagnose or prescribe treatment — that is your doctor's job.

Health literacy is not knowing every disease. It is being able to ask the right question and tell a verified answer from a loud promise.

— Editor's note

Where to start

I want a preventive check-up

Who is eligible and how often under Russia's state health insurance (OMS), how to book and how to get a day off work. Systems differ in other countries.

I've been offered a treatment or product

How to tell whether a method is backed by evidence and how to check whether a medicine is registered.

I read a news story about a study

The main types of study, what each can prove and which headline words deserve a closer look.

I'm seeing a doctor soon

Questions worth asking, and who to talk to first if you are not sure where to go.

Reference sections

Topics and conditions
A map of the reference by topic: heart and circulation, nutrition, sleep and stress, infections and hygiene. Plus the article catalogue.
Prevention
Preventive check-ups in Russia's state health insurance (OMS) system and how to get the most from them. WHO guidance for adults.
Methods and approaches
What counts as evidence-based, the main types of intervention and how to check a claim about a method.
Reading research
How to read health research news: study types, verification steps and red flags.
Questions for your doctor
What to ask your doctor and who to see first.
Medical glossary
Plain-language definitions of terms from research, prevention, lab tests and medicine leaflets.
Sources and limitations
Which sources the reference relies on and what it cannot do.

How to use this reference: you've just read about a new study

Find out who was studied
If the work was done on cells or animals, the results cannot be applied directly to people. Headlines often leave this out.
Identify the type of study
A randomised controlled trial, a cohort study and a systematic review answer different questions. See the table of study types in "Reading research".
Tell association from causation
"People who do X get Y less often" is a correlation. It does not prove that X protects against Y.
Look at the absolute risk
"Risk halved" may mean a very small change if the starting risk was low. Look for how many people out of how many.
Don't change your treatment on your own
Even a convincing story is a reason to talk to your doctor, not to stop or add medicines.

Frequently asked questions in brief

Is this a greetings site?

No. A greetings service used to run on this domain, but the current reference is not connected with it, does not restore its content and does not send greetings.

Can I ask a doctor a question on the site?

No. There are no specialists answering questions here and no contact form. The "Questions for your doctor" section helps you prepare for a conversation with your own doctor.

Do you recommend clinics or medicines?

No. We do not advertise clinics, medicines or dietary supplements, and we do not publish doctor rankings. We only explain how to check information for yourself.

What should I do if I feel unwell right now?

Don't look for answers in a reference site. In a life-threatening situation call 112 — the single emergency number in Russia and across the EU — or, in Russia, 103 to call an ambulance from a mobile phone.

About the project

Pozzdravlenie is an independent reference project. A greetings service used to operate on this domain; the current project is not connected with it and does not restore or reproduce its content.

The name now reads differently — as "po zdravleniyu", a play on the Russian word for health. We write about things useful to any adult: how prevention and check-ups work, how to tell evidence-based methods from dubious ones, how to read science news and what medical terms mean. We rely on WHO documents, the Russian Ministry of Health and systematic reviews, and where there is no clear answer, we say so.

Topics and conditions
A map of the reference by topic: heart and circulation, nutrition, sleep and stress, infections and hygiene. Plus the article catalogue.
Prevention
Preventive check-ups in Russia's state health insurance (OMS) system and how to get the most from them. WHO guidance for adults.
Sources and limitations
Which sources the reference relies on and what it cannot do.

Sources

WHO. Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (2020)
Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Procedure for the preventive medical examination and dispanserizatsiya (health check-up)
Cochrane Library

Information is current as of the preparation date. The Russian check-up schedule, recommendations from health organisations and medicine registration rules may change — check current arrangements with your clinic and official sources.