Ensuring Care Continuity in Extreme Crises: A Participatory Action Research Approach

The Lebanese healthcare system has been facing major challenges due to an unprecedented financial crisis, socio-political instability, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of overlapping major crises on care continuity and to propose IT-based solutions to address current challenges and build future resilience. To this end, we adopted a participatory action research approach and conducted a two-phase qualitative study - six semi-structured interviews followed by three future workshops with local stakeholders including physicians and interns practicing in Lebanon. Through the interviews, we identified the primary consequences of the crises and the ways they impacted the continuity of care. We also identified adaptation mechanisms used by physicians and patients to ensure continuity of care. Through the future workshops, we identified various IT-based solutions that could be implemented to tackle existing challenges and support local adaptation attempts.