Coronavirus Disease and General Practitioners in Luxembourg: a pandemic experience. Recommandations for the FutureRE

The COVID-19 is a pandemic with no precedents in the world. GPs are at the forefront of the first intervention. Therefore, a current evaluation of their experiences while performing their role is necessary to develop new strategies, prepare plans for future pandemics, and improve the care provided. Our aims were investigated to; (i) Analyze challenges while performing their role in this context (ii) Identify problems, needs, and opportunities associated with their experiences and (iii) Determine their proposals for an improvement in the management of future pandemics.
Methodology: From April 17, 2020, to August 18, 2020, a qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews among GPs in Luxembourg. A content thematic categorical analysis was performed. Verbatims were extracted and regrouped into categories and categories reformulated into items. A total of 60 items were classified into dimensions to cover the study aims.
Results: 18 GPs have participated. They expressed difficulties in managing COVID19 related patients, guaranteeing continuity of care of non-COVID patients, implementing telehealth, managing their self-protection (physical and psychological), solving information gap problems, and deficient communication with authorities. Additionally, GPs proposed to involve more family medicine in the health care system and to improve its relationships with other healthcare organizations and professionals. Develop protocols and guidelines addressed to GPs. Professionalized communication, as well as improve the use of eHealth and virtual platforms.
Conclusion: Our findings reinforce the importance of developing new strategies to empower family medicine in the healthcare system during and after the pandemic-period and improve coordination and communication with authorities and patients.