European Journal of General Practice (Dec 2023)
Clinical pathway of COVID-19 patients in primary health care in 30 European countries: Eurodata study
- Sara Ares-Blanco,
- Marina Guisado-Clavero,
- Lourdes Ramos Del Rio,
- Ileana Gefaell Larrondo,
- Louise Fitzgerald,
- Limor Adler,
- Radost Assenova,
- Maria Bakola,
- Sabine Bayen,
- Elena Brutskaya-Stempkovskaya,
- Iliana-Carmen Busneag,
- Philippe-Richard Domeyer,
- Dragan Gjorgjievski,
- Kathryn Hoffmann,
- Оксана Ільков,
- Vasilis Trifon Karathanos,
- Aleksandar Kirkovski,
- Snežana Knežević,
- Büsra Çimen Korkmaz,
- Bruno Heleno,
- Katarzyna Nessler,
- Liubovė Murauskienė,
- Ana Luisa Neves,
- Naldy Parodi López,
- Ábel Perjés,
- Davorina Petek,
- Ferdinando Petrazzuoli,
- Goranka Petricek,
- Bohumil Seifert,
- Alice Serafini,
- Theresa Sentker,
- Paula Tiili,
- Péter Torzsa,
- Bert Vaes,
- Gijs van Pottebergh,
- Shlomo Vinker,
- María Pilar Astier-Peña,
- Raquel Gómez-Bravo,
- Heidrun Lingner
Affiliations
- Sara Ares-Blanco
- Federica Montseny Health Centre, Gerencia Asistencial Atención Primaria, Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Madrid, Spain
- Marina Guisado-Clavero
- Investigation Support Multidisciplinary Unit for Primary Care and Community North Area of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Lourdes Ramos Del Rio
- Federica Montseny Health Centre, Gerencia Asistencial de Atención Primaria, Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Madrid, Spain
- Ileana Gefaell Larrondo
- Federica Montseny Health Centre, Gerencia Asistencial de Atención Primaria, Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Madrid, Spain
- Louise Fitzgerald
- Irish College of General Practice, MICGP, Royal College of Physician, MRCSI, Ireland
- Limor Adler
- Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Radost Assenova
- Department Urology and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Maria Bakola
- Research Unit for General Medicine and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Science, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
- Sabine Bayen
- Department of General Practice, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Elena Brutskaya-Stempkovskaya
- General Medicine Department, Belarusian State Medical University, Belarus
- Iliana-Carmen Busneag
- Occupational Health Expert, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania
- Philippe-Richard Domeyer
- School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Patra, Greece
- Dragan Gjorgjievski
- Medical Faculty Skopje, Center for Family Medicine, Skopje, North Macedonia
- Kathryn Hoffmann
- General Practice and Primary Care, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Оксана Ільков
- Department of Family Medicine and Outpatient Care, Medical Faculty, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
- Vasilis Trifon Karathanos
- Medical Education Uni, Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
- Aleksandar Kirkovski
- Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
- Snežana Knežević
- Health center Kraljevo, Kraljevo, Serbia
- Büsra Çimen Korkmaz
- Van Gürpınar District Public Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
- Bruno Heleno
- Comprehensive Health Research Center, NOVA Medical School, University Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Katarzyna Nessler
- Department of Family Medicine UJCM, University Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum, Jagielloński, Poland
- Liubovė Murauskienė
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Ana Luisa Neves
- Imperial College London, London, UK
- Naldy Parodi López
- Närhälsan Kungshöjd Health Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Ábel Perjés
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Semmelweis, Budapest, Hungary
- Davorina Petek
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Ferdinando Petrazzuoli
- Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Centre for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Goranka Petricek
- Department of Family Medicine "Andrija Stampar" School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Health Centre Zagreb West, Zagreb, Croatia
- Bohumil Seifert
- First Faculty of Medicine, Institute of General Practice, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Alice Serafini
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Modena, Modena, Italy
- Theresa Sentker
- Center for Public Health and Healthcare, Hannover, Germany
- Paula Tiili
- Communicable Diseases and Infection Control Unit, City of Vantaa and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Péter Torzsa
- Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Bert Vaes
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Gijs van Pottebergh
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Shlomo Vinker
- Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- María Pilar Astier-Peña
- Territorial Quality Unit, Territorial Directorate of Camp de Tarragona, Institut Català de la Salut, Health Department, Generalitat de Catalunya, GIBA-IIS-Aragón, Spain
- Raquel Gómez-Bravo
- CHNP, Rehaklinik, Ettelbruck. Luxembourg
- Heidrun Lingner
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Healthcare, Hannover, Germany
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2023.2182879
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 29,
no. 2
Abstract
AbstractBackground Most COVID-19 patients were treated in primary health care (PHC) in Europe.Objectives To demonstrate the scope of PHC workflow during the COVID-19 pandemic emphasising similarities and differences of patient’s clinical pathways in Europe.Methods Descriptive, cross-sectional study with data acquired through a semi-structured questionnaire in PHC in 30 European countries, created ad hoc and agreed upon among all researchers who participated in the study. GPs from each country answered the approved questionnaire. Main variable: PHC COVID-19 acute clinical pathway. All variables were collected from each country as of September 2020.Results COVID-19 clinics in PHC facilities were organised in 8/30. Case detection and testing were performed in PHC in 27/30 countries. RT-PCR and lateral flow tests were performed in PHC in 23/30, free of charge with a medical prescription. Contact tracing was performed mainly by public health authorities. Mandatory isolation ranged from 5 to 14 days. Sick leave certification was given exclusively by GPs in 21/30 countries. Patient hotels or other resources to isolate patients were available in 12/30. Follow-up to monitor the symptoms and/or new complementary tests was made mainly by phone call (27/30). Chest X-ray and phlebotomy were performed in PHC in 18/30 and 23/30 countries, respectively. Oxygen and low-molecular-weight heparin were available in PHC (21/30).Conclusion In Europe PHC participated in many steps to diagnose, treat and monitor COVID-19 patients. Differences among countries might be addressed at European level for the management of future pandemics.
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