Internal dynamics within primary care teams in two Spanish regions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Pandemics and epidemics have represented public health emergencies with severe consequences at a global level. Primary care teams have played a crucial role in disease surveillance and monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic through early detection, contact tracing, and isolation of positive cases. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams regarding their internal dynamics and their professional performance. METHODS: Qualitative study carried out between July and December 2020 in two large central and southern Spanish regions (Castilla la Mancha and Madrid). Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with primary care workers. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Participants were accessed using purposive sampling. RESULTS: A total of 53 primary care workers participated in the study, of which 38 were individually interviewed, and 15 participated in three focus groups.The analysis of their experiences revealed two main themes regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams: 1) The need to reorganise traditional roles: Primary care settings closed their doors to the public and their workers restructured their roles to ensure the delivery of essential services; 2) The need to implement a new primary care delivery model: Each primary care team had to self-organise, making sure their reference population was cared for and developing resource optimisation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care teams have quickly adapted their roles and internal dynamics to respond to the demands generated by COVID-19. In the new delivery model, some positive aspects could be highlighted – such as increased communication between professionals and the use of telemedicine for some cases. However, it is important to address the negative impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on of the main functions of primary care. These measures are necessary to promote well-being in primary care teams, and to provide quality care that addresses the complex and individual needs of each person and reduces inequalities in healthcare delivery.