Primary Care Practitioners' Barriers to and Experience of COVID-19 Epidemic Control in China: a Qualitative Study

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in December 2019 and posed numerous challenges to China's health system. Almost 4 million primary care practitioners (PCPs) participated in controlling the outbreak. However, PCPs' barriers to and experience of the epidemic control remain unknown and are essential for improving countermeasures. Objective To better understand the barriers PCPs faced in COVID-19 epidemic control and their psychological and occupational impacts, and explore potential solutions. Design This qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured, in-depth interviews from February 12, to March 10, 2020. Participants A purposive sample of frontline PCPs affiliated with either community health centers or township health centers in four provinces of China were recruited. Approach Interviews were conducted by telephone, and then recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed. Themes surrounding PCPs' barriers to COVID-19 epidemic control, their experience, and potential solutions were iteratively identified using the constant comparative method. Key Results Of the 21 PCPs interviewed, 10 (48%) were women and 5 (24%) worked in rural areas. Barriers to epidemic control in primary care included inappropriate PCP scheduling and role ambiguity, difficult tasks and inadequate capacities, and inexperienced community workers and insufficient cooperation. Some PCPs perceived respect and a sense of accomplishment and were preoccupied with the outbreak, while others were frustrated by fatigue and psychological distress. PCPs reported potential solutions for improving countermeasures, such as improving management, optimizing workflows, providing additional support, facilitating cooperation, and strengthening the primary care system. Conclusions Due to their roles in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic, PCPs in China faced a series of barriers that affected them physically and mentally. Support for PCPs should help them to overcome these barriers and work efficiently. The current findings provide insight into the challenges and potential solutions for strengthening the preparedness and response of China's primary care system in future disease outbreaks.