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Published on: November 7, 2020
General practitioners' knowledge, preparedness, and experiences of managing COVID-19 in Australia
Cristina Sotomayor-Castillo1, Shizar Nahidi1, Cecilia Li1
1Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
Background:
COVID-19 has brought unprecedented demands to general practitioners (GPs) worldwide. We examined their knowledge, preparedness, and experiences managing COVID-19 in Australia.
Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey of GPs members of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) was conducted between June and September 2020.
Results:
Out of 244 survey responses, a majority of GPs (76.6%) indicated having good knowledge of COVID-19, relying mostly on state/territory department of health (84.4%) and the RACGP (76.2%) websites to source up-to-date information. Most felt prepared to manage patients with COVID-19 (75.7%), yet over half reported not receiving training in the use of PPE. The majority were concerned about contracting SARS-CoV-2, more stressed than usual, and have heavier workloads. Their greatest challenges included scarcity of PPE, personal distress, and information overload.
Conclusion:
Access to PPE, training, accurate information, and preparedness are fundamental for the successful role of general practices during outbreaks.
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