Performance of Selected COVID-19 Centers in the Primary Health Care System during COVID-19 Pandemics in Iran

In order to address the community’s health needs during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, several comprehensive urban health centers affiliated with the primary healthcare system were designated as COVID-19 centers. Considering the importance of evaluating the performance of the mentioned centers and ensuring the continuity of the services provided in accordance with the rules and instructions, the performance evaluation of the mentioned units was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 in three levels: self-evaluation (first-level evaluation), university evaluation (second-level evaluation) and the evaluation of the experts of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (third-level evaluation).

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in all selected COVID-19 centers, including 978 in 63 universities / medical schools across the country in 2020. The sample was selected by census sampling method and included a total of 978 centers. In this study, 28 main criteria in the fields of education and information, safety of staff and clients by observing social distance, use of personal protective equipment, supplying manpower and equipment, disinfection, and work processes, and 91 sub-criteria were determined by using Delphi Technique.

With the criteria and sub-criteria defined in the areas of "community education and information", staff training, observance of social distance, facilities, waste management, manpower supply, supply of medical equipment and work processes, it was identified that in the self-evaluation (first level evaluation), the criterion with the lowest score was "staff training". The lowest score in the evaluation of the level of universities / medical schools (second level evaluation) was related to the observance of social distance in the centers and the highest score in both evaluation levels was related to the criterion of "providing the necessary education to patients regarding prevention and control of COVID-19".

The establishment and setting up of selected COVID-19 centers has been one of the effective measures in controlling and managing the COVID-19 epidemic, which was created as a result of changing the structure of the primary healthcare system. The continuity of service quality of selected centers requires continuous monitoring and evaluation of their performance.