Organization of primary health care in pandemics

Background: The world is experiencing one of the greatest public health emergencies in history with the global spread of COVID-19. Health systems, including Primary Health Care (PHC) services, are pillars of pandemic coping strategies. Objective: To systematic review of the literature that analyzes the effectiveness of PHC organization strategies in the context of epidemics. Methods: We performed a rapid systematic literature review on MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE and LILACS (via VHL), in order to analyze empirical studies on the effectiveness of PHC organization strategies in the context of epidemics to improve access and reduce morbidity and mortality. There was no assessment of risk of bias, and the synthesis was narrative. PROSPERO CRD42020178310.Results: We selected seven articles, which studied the responses to different epidemic–s in different parts of the world. In terms of access, the studies suggest positive results with the adoption of adjustments of work processes of the teams and the structure of the services, combined with diversification of actions (including call center), adequate provision of inputs and personal protective equipment, adequate action plans and communication strategies, and effective integration with public health services and other levels of care. No study analyzed population morbidity and mortality. The included studies suggest also that community-oriented PHC is more effective in crisis scenarios, indicating the necessity of strengthening of the Family Health Strategy in the Brazilian context. Conclusion: PHC can be effective in coping with public health emergencies. Action plans should be built with broad participation by the actors involved in coping with the epidemic. Emphasis is placed on the importance of empowering the link between the healthcare service and its registered population.