Thomas Kloppe , Jan Hendrik Oltrogge-Abiry , Maren Ehrhardt, Dagmar Lühmann, Thomas Zimmermann, Martin Scherer
{"title":"[SARS-CoV-2大流行期间初级保健医生工作量调查:一项概念验证研究]。","authors":"Thomas Kloppe , Jan Hendrik Oltrogge-Abiry , Maren Ehrhardt, Dagmar Lühmann, Thomas Zimmermann, Martin Scherer","doi":"10.1016/j.zefq.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>One of the conclusions from the experience with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2020 to 2022 was the requirement for data on primary care/ambulatory care to assess the severity of the pandemic in a timely manner. Since most patients with COVID-19 in Germany had been primarily cared for by general practitioners, the question arose whether the incidence course of a pandemic can be mapped by means of a regular evaluation of GP workload and number of patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>From January 2021 to June 2021, 12 replicative, internet-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted fortnightly. Invitations were sent out to all members of the German Society of General Practice/Family Medicine (DEGAM) and selected federal/regional member organizations of the German Association of General Practitioners. They were asked about increases in personal workload, number of patients with COVID-19, and other conditions of patient care.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>On average, 697 general practitioners (GPs) participated in each survey and completed a total of 8,369 questionnaires. The composition of participants remained consistent across the 12 survey periods, with 82.9–87.2 % being practice owners and 32.0–40.7 % working in group practices. Over time, the proportion of physicians reporting an increased workload reached a minimum of 24.2 % in February 2021; from March 2021 onward, there was a trend reversal with a peak (88.1 %) in May 2021. The change in the GPs’ workload developed in phases that ran parallel to the official RKI reporting data on the COVID-19 incidence. The reported increase in the care deficit for patients with chronic diseases or social problems did not show a temporal dynamic comparable to the reported incidence trend.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>A replicative survey among GPs conducted between January 2021 and June 2021 revealed changes in the workload of general practitioners under pandemic conditions. The progression of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic during the same period and the observed change in workload developed in parallel. The methodology used (an internet-based, replicative survey among GPs) could therefore be a low-threshold, resource-saving approach to assessing the course of a pandemic. Despite the increasing workload during the different waves of the pandemic, the care for chronically ill patients reported by the GPs was not subject to any pandemic-related dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46628,"journal":{"name":"Zeitschrift fur Evidenz Fortbildung und Qualitaet im Gesundheitswesen","volume":"197 ","pages":"Pages 38-46"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Erhebung der Arbeitsbelastung in der hausärztlichen Versorgung während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie – eine „Proof-of-Concept“-Studie\",\"authors\":\"Thomas Kloppe , Jan Hendrik Oltrogge-Abiry , Maren Ehrhardt, Dagmar Lühmann, Thomas Zimmermann, Martin Scherer\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.zefq.2025.07.003\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>One of the conclusions from the experience with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2020 to 2022 was the requirement for data on primary care/ambulatory care to assess the severity of the pandemic in a timely manner. Since most patients with COVID-19 in Germany had been primarily cared for by general practitioners, the question arose whether the incidence course of a pandemic can be mapped by means of a regular evaluation of GP workload and number of patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>From January 2021 to June 2021, 12 replicative, internet-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted fortnightly. Invitations were sent out to all members of the German Society of General Practice/Family Medicine (DEGAM) and selected federal/regional member organizations of the German Association of General Practitioners. They were asked about increases in personal workload, number of patients with COVID-19, and other conditions of patient care.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>On average, 697 general practitioners (GPs) participated in each survey and completed a total of 8,369 questionnaires. The composition of participants remained consistent across the 12 survey periods, with 82.9–87.2 % being practice owners and 32.0–40.7 % working in group practices. Over time, the proportion of physicians reporting an increased workload reached a minimum of 24.2 % in February 2021; from March 2021 onward, there was a trend reversal with a peak (88.1 %) in May 2021. The change in the GPs’ workload developed in phases that ran parallel to the official RKI reporting data on the COVID-19 incidence. The reported increase in the care deficit for patients with chronic diseases or social problems did not show a temporal dynamic comparable to the reported incidence trend.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>A replicative survey among GPs conducted between January 2021 and June 2021 revealed changes in the workload of general practitioners under pandemic conditions. The progression of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic during the same period and the observed change in workload developed in parallel. The methodology used (an internet-based, replicative survey among GPs) could therefore be a low-threshold, resource-saving approach to assessing the course of a pandemic. Despite the increasing workload during the different waves of the pandemic, the care for chronically ill patients reported by the GPs was not subject to any pandemic-related dynamics.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":46628,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Zeitschrift fur Evidenz Fortbildung und Qualitaet im Gesundheitswesen\",\"volume\":\"197 \",\"pages\":\"Pages 38-46\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":1.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Zeitschrift fur Evidenz Fortbildung und Qualitaet im Gesundheitswesen\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1865921725001771\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q4\",\"JCRName\":\"HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Zeitschrift fur Evidenz Fortbildung und Qualitaet im Gesundheitswesen","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1865921725001771","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Erhebung der Arbeitsbelastung in der hausärztlichen Versorgung während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie – eine „Proof-of-Concept“-Studie
Objective
One of the conclusions from the experience with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2020 to 2022 was the requirement for data on primary care/ambulatory care to assess the severity of the pandemic in a timely manner. Since most patients with COVID-19 in Germany had been primarily cared for by general practitioners, the question arose whether the incidence course of a pandemic can be mapped by means of a regular evaluation of GP workload and number of patients.
Methods
From January 2021 to June 2021, 12 replicative, internet-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted fortnightly. Invitations were sent out to all members of the German Society of General Practice/Family Medicine (DEGAM) and selected federal/regional member organizations of the German Association of General Practitioners. They were asked about increases in personal workload, number of patients with COVID-19, and other conditions of patient care.
Results
On average, 697 general practitioners (GPs) participated in each survey and completed a total of 8,369 questionnaires. The composition of participants remained consistent across the 12 survey periods, with 82.9–87.2 % being practice owners and 32.0–40.7 % working in group practices. Over time, the proportion of physicians reporting an increased workload reached a minimum of 24.2 % in February 2021; from March 2021 onward, there was a trend reversal with a peak (88.1 %) in May 2021. The change in the GPs’ workload developed in phases that ran parallel to the official RKI reporting data on the COVID-19 incidence. The reported increase in the care deficit for patients with chronic diseases or social problems did not show a temporal dynamic comparable to the reported incidence trend.
Discussion
A replicative survey among GPs conducted between January 2021 and June 2021 revealed changes in the workload of general practitioners under pandemic conditions. The progression of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic during the same period and the observed change in workload developed in parallel. The methodology used (an internet-based, replicative survey among GPs) could therefore be a low-threshold, resource-saving approach to assessing the course of a pandemic. Despite the increasing workload during the different waves of the pandemic, the care for chronically ill patients reported by the GPs was not subject to any pandemic-related dynamics.