Teachings After COVID-19 Outbreak From a Survey of Family Physicians

Background: Since December 2019, the dramatic escalation in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases worldwide has had a significant impact on health care systems. Family physicians (FPs) have played a critical role in the coordination of care. Materials and methods: In April 2020, we performed an online prospective survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on FPs' practices. Results: Three hundred FPs were included. Mean age was 53.6 ± 13.5 years. Before the pandemic, 60.2% reported >75 outpatient visits/week, which reduced down to an average of <20/week for 79.8% of FPs; 24.2% of FPs discontinued home visits, while for 94.7% of FPs there was a >50% increase in the number of telephone consultations. Concern related to the risk of contagion was elevated (≥3/5 in 74.6%) and even higher to the risk of infecting relatives and patients (≥3/5 in 93.3%). The majority of FPs (87%) supported the role of telemedicine in the near future. Satisfaction regarding the network with hospitals/COVID-19-dedicated wards received a score ≤2/5 in 46.9% of cases. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the working practices of FPs. A collaboration is needed with well-established networks between FPs and referral centers to provide new insights and opportunities to inform future working practices.