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

The COVID-19 pandemic had an enormous impact on tertiary care. Less is known about the impact on family doctors (FDs), who had shifted tasks and adapted their practices to accommodate new services. We present data from FD practices collected during the pandemic from the Republic of Moldova, within the PRICOV-19 study. This study was a multi-country cross-sectional survey aiming to understand the challenges posed by the pandemic in primary care in Europe.The questionnaire was designed at Ghent University and distributed between January and March 2021 to a convenience sample of FD facilities from 35 districts nationwide. Percentages and chi2 tests were performed to describe outcomes related to infrastructure, service delivery, staff role changes, and errors in clinical assessments.32% of rural facilities reported having more than 2000 patients per GP and more than 68% of facilities in rural areas experienced limitations in the building infrastructure. Video consultations saw an increase in from 20% to 80% in urban areas. Errors in clinical assessments were more frequent in urban areas (20%) vs. rural areas (5%). 95% of respondents reported an increase in time spent giving information to patients, and 88% reported an increase in responsibilities with little difference between urban and rural facilities.During the pandemic, the workload of FDs saw a significant increase, and practices met important organizational limitations. Adjustments to facility infrastructure and strategies to mitigate the workload in facilities need to be expanded, considering the different needs of FD facilities in urban and rural areas.The COVID-19 pandemic had an enormous impact on tertiary care. Less is known about the impact on family doctors (FDs), who had shifted tasks and adapted their practices to accommodate new services. We present data from FD practices collected during the pandemic from the Republic of Moldova, within the PRICOV-19 study. This study was a multi-country cross-sectional survey aiming to understand the challenges posed by the pandemic in primary care in Europe.The questionnaire was designed at Ghent University and distributed between January and March 2021 to a convenience sample of FD facilities from 35 districts nationwide. Percentages and chi2 tests were performed to describe outcomes related to infrastructure, service delivery, staff role changes, and errors in clinical assessments.32% of rural facilities reported having more than 2000 patients per GP and more than 68% of facilities in rural areas experienced limitations in the building infrastructure. Video consultations saw an increase in from 20% to 80% in urban areas. Errors in clinical assessments were more frequent in urban areas (20%) vs. rural areas (5%). 95% of respondents reported an increase in time spent giving information to patients, and 88% reported an increase in responsibilities with little difference between urban and rural facilities.During the pandemic, the workload of FDs saw a significant increase, and practices met important organizational limitations. Adjustments to facility infrastructure and strategies to mitigate the workload in facilities need to be expanded, considering the different needs of FD facilities in urban and rural areas.C