Trends in COVID-Related Activity in Sentinel Family Medicine Practices: An Observational Study

Muriel Maeder; Diane Auderset; Bernard Borel; Eric Masserey; Joëlle Schwarz; Yolanda Mueller

doi:10.3389/ijph.2022.1605361

Trends in COVID-Related Activity in Sentinel Family Medicine Practices: An Observational Study

Int J Public Health. 2023 Jan 16:67:1605361. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1605361. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Muriel Maeder¹, Diane Auderset¹, Bernard Borel², Eric Masserey², Joëlle Schwarz¹, Yolanda Mueller¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Public Health Service, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Abstract

Objectives: During the COVID pandemic, data collected in family medicine were scarce. The COVID-FM project aimed to monitor trends of COVID-related activity in family medicine practices of the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, during the year 2021. Methods: Practitioners were invited to join an ad hoc sentinel surveillance system. Online data collection was based on daily activity reports and monthly questionnaires. Participants categorized daily counts of consultations and phone calls into predefined categories. Data were reported and discussed on a weekly basis with public health authorities. Results: On the target of 50 physicians, 37 general physicians from 32 practices finally constituted the COVID-FM sentinel network, contributing to 901 practice-weeks of surveillance in family medicine and 604 in paediatrics. In paediatrics, COVID-related activity corresponded mostly to COVID-19 diagnostic consultations (2911/25990 face-to-face consultations = 11.2%) while in family medicine, other COVID-related topics-such as questions on vaccination-predominated (4143/42221 = 9.8%). Conclusion: COVID-related consultations constituted an important part of primary care practices' activity in 2021. Monitoring COVID-related activity in primary care provided health authorities with valuable information to guide public health action.

Keywords: COVID-19; family medicine; monitoring; primary care; public health; sentinel; surveillance.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Child
Family Practice
General Practitioners*
Humans
Public Health
Sentinel Surveillance

Grants and funding

The authors declare that this study received funding from cantonal public health authorities. The funder had the following involvement with the study: study design, interpretation of the data, review of the manuscript.