ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 262
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
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How has primary care contributed to COVID-19 pandemic
responses? A review of the international literature
Prof Sally Hall-Dygraaf1, Anne Parkinson1, Prof Lauren Ball2, Jane Desborough1, Dr Elizabeth
Sturgiss3, Dr Michael Wright4, Garang Dut1, William Wong5, Dr Katelyn Barnes1, Dr Danielle Butler1, Prof
Kirsty Douglas1, Stephanie Davis6, Danielle Martin7, Candan Kendir8, Michael van den Berg8, Lucas de
Toca6, Shannon Barkley9, Robert Marten9, Katherine Rouleau7, Prof Michael Kidd6
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Australian National University, 2University of Queensland, 3Monash University, 4University of
Technology, 5University of Hong Kong, 6Australian Government Department of Health, 7University of
Toronto, 8Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 9World Health Organization
Background
Primary care services, including general practice, are a critical component of universal health coverage
and high-performing healthcare systems. They have played a central role in healthcare responses
to the COVID-19 pandemic, although this is not always well recognised, and policy support varies
between countries.
Aim
To describe the contribution of general practice and primary care to national and subnational health
system responses to COVID-19.
Methods
A systematic scoping review and narrative analysis examining primary care contributions to health
system responses to COVID-19 were conducted against PRISMA guidelines. Four electronic
databases (PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Library) were searched using a combination of
search terms related to primary care, family medicine and general practice, policy responses and
COVID-19. Searches identified 1485 unique records, which were screened by two reviewers before
data extraction by a single reviewer.
Results
The review included 108 studies, published March 2020–December 2021, describing collective
primary care responses to the pandemic in 96 countries. Most papers were descriptive and the
majority focused on general practice settings. A wide range of roles were either assumed by
practitioners or conferred via policy settings, operating across four functional classifications. Ten key
challenges for primary care settings were also identified. This presentation will highlight key findings
including role categories, challenges and potential impacts.
Conclusion
General practice and other primary care settings around the world made crucial contributions to public
health and health system responses to COVID-19, despite being widely impacted by the pandemic.
This study provides an international overview of these system-enhancing roles, which are not
always well integrated into epidemic or pandemic preparations, and identifies a series of challenges
encountered at the same time. The findings will assist in clarifying primary care contributions to inform
future public health planning and policy support.
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