Abstract

BackgroundThe coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) tested health care systems worldwide. This qualitative study aimed to explore and understand the experiences, beliefs and concerns of Primary Care Professionals (PCPs) regarding the preparedness and response of primary care to the first wave of the pandemic in Greece, a country where a public structured primary care system has been developing.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 33 PCPs (General Practitioners, community General Internal Medicine Specialists, community Paediatricians and nurses) recruited from all regions of Greece after the first wave of the pandemic (June 2020). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, data were anonymised and analysed. Thematic analysis was applied developing a conceptual framework.ResultsFour main themes were identified: a) Primary care unit adaptation and issues faced during the pandemic; b) Management of suspected COVID-19 cases; c) Management of non-suspected cases; d) Consequences of the pandemic. In the first phase of the pandemic, remote management of suspected cases and their referral to the hospital were preferred as a result of a shortage of personal protective equipment and inaccessibility to coronavirus testing in primary care. Due to the discontinuation of regular medical services and the limited in-person contact between doctors and patients, chronic disease management and prevention programmes were left behind. Social and emotional consequences of the pandemic, such as workplace stigma, isolation and social seclusion, deriving from fear of viral transmission, as well as burnout symptoms and exhaustion were commonly experienced among PCPs. Positive consequences of the pandemic were considered to be the recognition of the importance of an empowered public healthcare system by citizens and the valuable insight, knowledge and experience professionals gained in times of crisis.ConclusionsPrimary care has a key role to play during and after the pandemic by using its information infrastructure to identify at-risk groups, detect new cases of COVID-19, provide care according to needs, and carry out vaccination programmes. Central coordination and empowerment of primary care will increase its effectiveness, via public awareness, holistic patient management, and unburdening of hospitals.

Highlights

  • The coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) tested health care systems worldwide

  • The study population consisted of General Practitioners (GPs), community General Internal Medicine Specialists (GIMS), community Paediatricians and nurses, who were employees of public and private sector Primary Care (PC) services in both rural and urban settings of the mainland and islands of Greece

  • A total of 33 Primary Care Professionals (PCPs) participated in the study, 24 doctors and 9 nurses, from 28 different health units (17 public and 11 private)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) tested health care systems worldwide. This qualitative study aimed to explore and understand the experiences, beliefs and concerns of Primary Care Professionals (PCPs) regarding the preparedness and response of primary care to the first wave of the pandemic in Greece, a country where a public structured primary care system has been developing. The continuation of PC services during the COVID-19 pandemic was deemed vital from the outset and countries were provided with guidance on PC services’ operation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) [3]. A strong PC system is the foundation of an efficient and effective national health service that eliminates inequalities in healthcare access [4]. Countries with strong PC systems, such as Cuba and Australia, have succeeded in managing cases and relieving the burden of secondary and tertiary care [1, 6,7,8]

Objectives
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call