[Role of primary care physicians in the influenza pandemic]

A new pandemic influenza will most probably occur in the future. As the avian flu caused by Influenza A H5N 1 has a clear potential to cause a pandemic, it stimulates ongoing efforts towards a preparedness plan. The involvement of primary care physicians is pivotal in the response to pandemic because of the expected burden and because of these physicians' key role in outpatients management. The aims of this article is to describe what the primary care physicians' contribution would be in case of pandemic and to show two possible organisation models: one involving the practitioners in a dedicated healthcare network specifically set up for pandemic influenza, the other taking advantage of the existing practices.