PRICOV-19 - Quality of care and patient safety in primary care practices in times of a pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic confronted primary care with unprecedented organizational and structural challenges, such as amended tasks like tele consultations, an intensive collaboration with services of secondary care and other practices in the geographical area, and a limited availability of resources in terms of staff, infrastructure and protective equipment. These new ways of working pose also challenges for the delivery of high quality care in all its dimensions: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization of care in primary care practices, the efforts undertaken to ensure access to care for all patients, and the impact on the different dimensions of quality of care in different European countries.

Picture: 38 countries participated in the study.

Study protocol.