Pandemic Preparedness for Primary Care: A Co-Design Proof of Principle Pilot Study in Middlesex-London (3PC-ML)

Primary care providers (i.e., family physicians; nurses in primary care) play critical roles in pandemic response. However, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were few references to primary care in the existing pandemic response plans. Primary care providers were inadequately prepared and supported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, our research team has been examining the role of primary care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have created a framework for developing a pandemic preparedness plan by identifying the stages of pandemic response, the roles of primary care providers, and the infrastructure and supports needed to fulfil these roles. We then asked primary care providers to prioritize the supports to include in a pandemic preparedness plan. In this project, we will use a co-design model and work with primary care providers to create pandemic plans for a clinic, urban and rural community, and the region of Middlesex-London (our pilot site). We will evaluate the plans to examine to what degree they incorporate the priorities identified by primary care providers. We will share plans, tools, and processes to help other regions develop their own pandemic preparedness plans for primary care.