Resilience of primary healthcare facilities: Experiences from 16 European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-methods study conducted by EURIPA.
Ferdinando Petrazzuoli, Ozden Gokdemir, Maria Antonopoulou, Beata Blahová, Natasa Mrduljaš-Đujić, Gindrovel G Dumitra, Rosario Falanga, Mercedes Ferreira, Sandra Gintere, Sehnaz Hatipoglu, Jean-Pierre Jacquet, Kateřina Javorská, Ana Kareli, András Mohos, Sody Naimer, Victoria Tkachenko, Angela Tomacinschii, Jane Randall-Smith, Krzysztof Kujawa, Donata Kurpas
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The role of primary healthcare (PHC) during a pandemic varies across European countries. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has altered the working practices of family medicine doctors and impacted the resilience of healthcare systems.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine European healthcare system responses to the pandemic, focusing on rural and urban differences.
Material and methods: This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study used a semi-structured online questionnaire with 68 questions, including 21 free-text comments. Data were collected from May 2020 to January 2021. Key informants from 16 European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association (EURIPA) member countries distributed questionnaires to 406 PHC doctors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests (χ2, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U) with a significance threshold of 0.05.
Results: A statistically significant difference was found between rural (36.4%, 55/151), semirural (19.4%, 24/124) and urban populations (29.8%, 39/131) regarding medicine shortages (χ2 = 9.91, degrees of freedom (df) = 4, p = 0.042). The semirural setting showed a statistically significant difference from the other settings (p = 0.004 in post hoc χ2 test). Significant differences were found between countries in resilience features including, effectiveness of triage, adapting to the rapidly changing requirements, government help, existence of a community resilience group, improved interprofessional collaboration, medicine shortage, and general practitioners (GPs) involvement in palliative care.
Conclusions: Medicine shortage was more prevalent in rural and urban areas compared to semirural areas. Differences were observed between countries in their responses to the pandemic, particularly in adapting to the rapidly changing requirements, effectiveness of triage, government help, and the existence of a community resilience group. These differences were confirmed with qualitative analysis. The results emphasize the need for tailored approaches considering diverse contexts in shaping effective healthcare system resilience.
期刊介绍：
Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine has been published by the Wroclaw Medical University since 1992. Establishing the medical journal was the idea of Prof. Bogumił Halawa, Chair of the Department of Cardiology, and was fully supported by the Rector of Wroclaw Medical University, Prof. Zbigniew Knapik. Prof. Halawa was also the first editor-in-chief, between 1992-1997. The journal, then entitled "Postępy Medycyny Klinicznej i Doświadczalnej", appeared quarterly.
Prof. Leszek Paradowski was editor-in-chief from 1997-1999. In 1998 he initiated alterations in the profile and cover design of the journal which were accepted by the Editorial Board. The title was changed to Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Articles in English were welcomed. A number of outstanding representatives of medical science from Poland and abroad were invited to participate in the newly established International Editorial Staff.
Prof. Antonina Harłozińska-Szmyrka was editor-in-chief in years 2000-2005, in years 2006-2007 once again prof. Leszek Paradowski and prof. Maria Podolak-Dawidziak was editor-in-chief in years 2008-2016. Since 2017 the editor-in chief is prof. Maciej Bagłaj.
Since July 2005, original papers have been published only in English. Case reports are no longer accepted. The manuscripts are reviewed by two independent reviewers and a statistical reviewer, and English texts are proofread by a native speaker.
The journal has been indexed in several databases: Scopus, Ulrich’sTM International Periodicals Directory, Index Copernicus and since 2007 in Thomson Reuters databases: Science Citation Index Expanded i Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition.
In 2010 the journal obtained Impact Factor which is now 1.179 pts. Articles published in the journal are worth 15 points among Polish journals according to the Polish Committee for Scientific Research and 169.43 points according to the Index Copernicus.
Since November 7, 2012, Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine has been indexed and included in National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE database. English abstracts printed in the journal are included and searchable using PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.
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