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Review
. 2021 Mar;47(2):122-130.
doi: 10.1016/j.semerg.2020.11.002. Epub 2020 Nov 28.

[Ethical issues in primary care during the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic]

[Article in Spanish]
C M Beltran-Aroca  1 , M González-Tirado  2 , E Girela-López  3
Affiliations
Review

[Ethical issues in primary care during the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic]

[Article in Spanish]
C M Beltran-Aroca et al. Semergen. 2021 Mar.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Public health emergencies, such as the current SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, have led to tragic resource constraints that prevent lives from being saved. This has led to tensions in patient-centered care as the backbone of the system in normal conditions and the same care in emergencies originating in the COVID-19. In this review we address some of the healthcare, organizational and ethical problems that this scenario has caused in primary care such as: cancellation of programmed activities; scarce home care and follow-up of elderly, chronically ill and immobilized patients; shortage of PPE and the exposure to risk of healthcare professionals, and finally the problems associated with telemedicine and telephone attention to patients.

Las emergencias de salud pública, como la que estamos viviendo con la pandemia originada por el coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, han originado trágicas limitaciones de recursos que impiden salvar vidas. Provocan tensiones en la atención sanitaria centrada en el paciente como eje del sistema en condiciones normales, y en la misma atención sanitaria en situaciones de emergencia originadas en la COVID-19. En esta revisión abordamos algunos de los problemas asistenciales, organizativos y éticos que este escenario ha provocado en la atención primaria, como: cancelación de actividades programadas; escasa atención domiciliaria y seguimiento de pacientes ancianos, enfermos crónicos e inmovilizados; desabastecimiento de EPI y exposición al riesgo de los profesionales sanitarios, y finalmente los problemas asociados a la telemedicina y a la atención telefónica a los pacientes.

Keywords: Atención primaria; Ethical issues; Pandemia; Pandemic; Primary care; Problemas éticos; SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19); Telemedicina; Telemedicine.

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References

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