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. 2023 Oct 25;24(Suppl 1):221.
doi: 10.1186/s12875-023-02116-3.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary health care practices and patient management in the Republic of Moldova - results from the PRICOV-19 survey

Giulia Delvento  1   2 , Ala Curteanu  3   4   5 , Cristina Rotaru  3   4   6 , Esther Van Poel  7   8 , Sara Willems  7   8 , Helen Prytherch  9   10 , Ghenadie Curocichin  6
Affiliations

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary health care practices and patient management in the Republic of Moldova - results from the PRICOV-19 survey

Giulia Delvento et al. BMC Prim Care. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on health systems in Europe and has generated unprecedented challenges for tertiary care. Less is known about the effects on the activities of local family doctors (FDs), who have shifted tasks and adapted their practice to accommodate the new services brought by the pandemic. The PRICOV-19 study was a multi-country survey aiming to understand the challenges posed by the pandemic in primary health care (PHC) practices around Europe. Within the framework of this study, we assessed the impact of the pandemic on PHC facilities in urban, rural, and mixed urban/rural areas in the Republic of Moldova.

Methods: We present the results from the PRICOV-19 questionnaire designed at Ghent University (Belgium) and distributed between January and March 2021 to PHC facilities from the 35 districts of the Republic of Moldova. This analysis presents descriptive data on limitations to service delivery, staff role changes, implementation and acceptance of COVID-19 guidelines, and incidents reported on staff and patient safety during the pandemic.

Results: Results highlighted the differences between facilities located in urban, rural, and mixed areas in several dimensions of PHC. Nearly half of the surveyed facilities experienced limitations in the building or infrastructure when delivering services during the pandemic. 95% of respondents reported an increase in time spent giving information to patients by phone, and 88% reported an increase in responsibilities. Few practices reported errors in clinical assessments, though a slightly higher number of incidents were reported in urban areas. Half of the respondents reported difficulties delivering routine care to patients with chronic conditions and a delay in treatment-seeking.

Conclusions: During the pandemic, the workload of PHC staff saw a significant increase, and practices met important structural and organizational limitations. Consequently, these limitations may have also affected care delivery for vulnerable patients with chronic conditions. Adjustments and bottlenecks need to be addressed, considering the different needs of PHC facilities in urban, rural, and mixed areas.

Keywords: COVID-19; Family doctor; General practitioner; Health systems; Infectious disease; PRICOV-19; Primary health care; Quality of care; Republic of Moldova.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structure of the primary healthcare system at district and municipal level in the Republic of Moldova
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Incidence of COVID-19 in Moldova in March 2021-June 2021 (left) and number of active cases in the same period (right). Source: COVID-19 response and recovery monthly bulletin june 2021-Republic of Moldova
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Percent of primary healthcare facilities experiencing limitations and making adjustments to their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural, urban and mixed areas
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Percent of primary healthcare facilities using video consultations before and during the pandemic in urban, rural and mixed areas
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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