Structure and responsiveness: are Primary Health Care Units prepared to face COVID-19?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the need for global efforts to grant universal health coverage and  access, which imposes management challenges for  Primary Health Care (PHC). This study aimed to  develop and apply an instrument to assess the PHC  Units’ responsiveness to COVID-19, based on co- production efforts between university researchers and PHC technical teams. All the 165 PHC Units in Brasília were invited to complete the instrument. Main results: there was physical structure  adaptation (adequate configuration of waiting rooms,  internal and external spaces allowing safe distance);  provision of PPE and COVID-19 tests; active search for SRP/COVID-19 suspects by phone, mobile or home  visits; monitoring flows of patient transfer and  telehealth implementation. In conclusion, the PHC  Units reorganized their services to meet the demands  of the pandemic context. Providing information about structure and responsiveness of PHC Units may  subside health systems for planning and decision- making at different levels of management, which is  crucial to determine strategies to empower and  reinforce PHC responsivity in situations of pandemics  and other calamities.