Organization of healthcare systems to confront COVID-19: a scoping review

Abstract

Objective. To identify evidence in the literature on the response of managers regarding the organization of global healthcare systems to face the COVID-19 pandemic. Method. For this scoping review, searches were performed in 11 databases accessible through the Virtual Health Library. Eleven studies, published in 2019 and 2020, were selected based on the following guiding question: “How did managers act to organize healthcare systems to face the coronavirus pandemic?”. The results were organized in terms of the categories outlined in the Pan-American Health Organization’s Framework for the response of Integrated Health Service Delivery Networks to COVID-19: governance; model of care; organizational and management; financial allocations. Results. Managers in countries that invested and articulated actions in the categories of the Reference Framework, with coordination of care at the primary healthcare level, achieved better outcomes in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions. Situating the coordination of healthcare systems at the primary care level, preparing managers and ensuring the continued allocation of financial resources to healthcare are important factors to secure a satisfactory response to crises such as the covid-19 pandemic.