The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Primary Health Care through ‘health providers’ eyes’: Α qualitative study of focus groups and individual interviews in Greece

Primary Health Care (PHC) was the cornerstone of the pandemic response. We aimed to explore the positive and negative impact of the pandemic, during its final wave, through ‘PHC providers’ eyes’, as well as their recommendations towards restructuring and enhancing PHC services. A two-phase qualitative study was conducted, pursuing data triangulation from Focus Groups (FGs) and individual, semi-structured interviews for the purposes of data completeness and confirmation (summer 2022 and spring 2023, respectively). A purposive sample of settings was employed, including in total five PHC units according to location with different population distribution; one in Athens (FGs) and four in Northern Greece (interviews). Inductive content analysis was used. In total, 24 PHC professionals participated in FGs, whereas 17 were individually interviewed. Our findings reflect a general understanding of the pandemic’s positive imprint, namely acceleration of digitalisation, establishment of health protection measures, recognition of PHC’s role, raise in public awareness of primary prevention, team-cooperation, increase in providers’ self-efficacy, appointment of health professionals and re-organisation of accessibility. The negative impact is summarised in fatigue/burnout in PHC providers, patient safety concerns and changes in patients’ behaviour. To increase resilience, participants suggest restructuring PHC, recruiting PHC personnel and enhancing digital infrastructure, maintenance of sanitary protection measures, investment in quality, and empowering patients through health literacy. Based on the lessons learnt, building further on the pandemic-accelerated digitalisation, emphasising on quality improvement and patient safety, ensuring providers’ well-being, and empowering citizens through health literacy could be key in promoting PHC resilience. PHC could build upon digitalisation, its role’s recognition, establishment of protective measures, raise in public awareness of primary prevention, team-cooperation and providers’ self-efficacy that the pandemic brought. Emphasising on quality improvement and patient safety, promoting professionals’ well-being and empowering citizens through health literacy could be key in strengthening PHC resilience.