Have health professionals become do-it-yourself professionals?

International audienceThe coronavirus crisis completely disrupted the operations of hospitals and created a situation of utter uncertainty. Consequently, health professionals had to quickly find ways to adapt to this unprecedented situation and find solutions to take care of the persons hit by the virus. As classic pre-established processes and protocols designed by ‘engineers’, could no longer work, they resorted to Do-It-Yourself and worked out makeshift solutions. This dramatic situation had a positive aspect in that it spurred new behaviours and relationships between health professionals, fundamentally based on cooperation and the breakdown of the established structure of the organization. However, only after a few months, the old ways and habits reappeared, creating a situation of misunderstanding and mistrust among health establishments. One strategic and organizational lesson that can be drawn from this crisis, is that health establishments should combine the positive aspects of the ‘engineer’ and the ‘DIY’ approaches to find more flexible, adaptive and reactive approaches, and weave closer and cooperative relationships between health professionals resulting in better care of patients