Identifying essential COVID-19 indicators for primary healthcare through Delphi analysis in 31 European countries: Eurodata eDelphi study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the essential role of primary healthcare (PHC) in epidemiological surveillance and public health decision-making. Across Europe, the integration of electronic health records (EHRs) and the sentinel networks have been pivotal in monitoring COVID-19. However, the lack of standardized PHC indicators for COVID-19 hinders the comparability of data among countries. OBJECTIVE: To establish a consensus on a set of standardized PHC activity indicators related to the COVID-19 pandemic for 31 countries, enhancing the capability of health authorities to make informed decisions and prepare for future health crises. METHODS: A two-round eDelphi study was conducted using a structured web-based survey, following the CREDES guidelines, to achieve consensus among a panel of 164 experts from the Eurodata study. 86 Indicators were selected based on their availability during the current pandemic, with participants rating the relevance and utility of proposed indicators. RESULTS: Of the 22 initial indicators, seven received consensuses for inclusion, while two remained contentious after the second round. The study found significant discrepancies in the awareness of sentinel networks and accessibility to PHC data. The consensus emphasized the necessity for indicators to be standardized, reproducible, and easily extractable from databases, with recommendations for disaggregation by age, sex, and vaccination status. CONCLUSION: Key COVID-19 indicators for PHC were identified, reflecting a consensus among healthcare professionals. Further cooperation between PHC providers and national public health authorities is warranted both on the national and the international level to harmonized healthcare indicators in response to future health emergencies.
Authors: Maria Pilar Astier Peña, Raquel Gómez Bravo, Ileana Gefaell Larrondo, Lourdes Ramos Del Rio, José Joaquin Mira, Snežana Knežević, Aleksandar Kirkovski, Büsra Çimen Korkmaz, Milena Kostić, Anna Krztoń-Królewiecka, Anna Segernäs, Heidrun Lingner, Liubovė Murauskienė, Achim Mortsiefer, Katarzyna Nessler, Nagu Penakacherla, Maria Pencheri, Ábel Perjés, Ferdinando Petrazzuoli, Goranka Petricek, Theresa Sentker, Lucia Palandri, Davorina Petek, Bert Vaes, Oksana Ilkov, Erva Kırkoç Üçüncü, Shlomo Vinker, Radost Assenova, Limor Adler, Maria Bakola, Sherihane Bensemmane, Ludmila Bezdíčková, Sabine Bayen, Jako S Burgers, Carmen Busneag, Georgi Tsigarovski, Asja Cosic Divjak, Philippe-Richard J Domeyer, Louise Fitzgerald, Dragan Gjorgjievski, Bruno Heleno, Kathryn Hoffmann, Marijana Jandrić-Kočić, Ana Luísa Neves, Marina Guisado-Clavero, Sara Ares-Blanco, Thomas Frese, Eurodata Collaborative Group, Ledia Qatipi, Elena Brutskaya-Stempkovskaya, Steve Van den Bulck, Joris van Loenhout, Hanna Ballout, Miriam Saso, Sarah Moreels, Bohumil Seifert, Zomica Ambareva, Daniela Mileva, Veronica Rasic, Miroslav Hanževački, Valerija Bralić Lang, Marion Tomičić, Ivan Pristaš, Željka Draušnik, Vasileios Trifon Karathanos, Nina Maindal, Tong Zhu, Charly Kengne Kuetche, Marion Debin, Matthieu Calafiore, Felix Bauch, Paula Tilli, Kirsi Valtonen, Christine Brütting, Ines Lay, Sabine Klinke-Rehbein, Maria Kampouraki, Eleni Jelastopulu, Papageorgiou Dimitra Iosifina, János Zsuffa, Beatrix Oroszi, Peter Torzsa, Catalina Valcárcel, Lucy McShane, Hagai Levine, Alice Serafini, Ausra Berzanskyte, Liga Kozlovska, Gunta Ticmane, Sabine Feldmane, Maryher Delphin Peña, Martin Sattler, Monique Aubart, Jean-Claude Leners, Marit Voltersvik, Rui Portugal, Joana Moreno, Tiago Mendes, Teresa Leão, Florentina Furtunescu, Antoaneta Dragoescu, Darinka Punoševac, Sandra Vesić Veškovac, Slavica Đorđević, Natalia Enríquez Martín, Alejandra Pérez, Armando Chaure, Alba Gallego Royo, Ines Sebastian Sanchez, Leticia Ainhoa Sanz Asier, Francisco Rodríguez-Cabrera, Txema Coll, Naldy Parodi López, Mila Gómez-Johansson, Boas Dubbelman, Fleur Otto, Jantine Woudstra, Bart Knottnerus, Ozden Gokdemir, Shushman Ivanna, Ángel Gónzalez de la Fuente
Institutions: Universidad de Zaragoza, Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, University of Luxembourg, Fundación para la Investigación e Innovación Biosanitaria de Atención Primaria, Madrid Health Service, Universitat de Miguel Hernández d'Elx, Academy of Applied Studies Belgrade, Akademija strukovnih studija Politehnika, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Linköping University, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Vilnius University, Witten/Herdecke University, Jagiellonian University, Aarhus University, Semmelweis University, Lund University, University of Zagreb, Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, University of Ljubljana, KU Leuven, Uzhhorod National University, Tel Aviv University, Medical University Plovdiv, University of Ioannina, Sciensano (Belgium), Université de Lille, Maastricht University, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Spiru Haret University, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Hellenic Open University, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Irish College of General Practitioners, Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Medical University of Vienna, Universidade do Porto, Centre for Health Technology and Services Research, Imperial College London, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Language: English
Topic: Delphi Technique in Research
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,181
Award: G8162938899
OpenAlex ID: W4413138322