• Jane Desborough, DykgraafSally HallSHAustralian National University Rural Clinical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia., Christine Phillips, Michael Wright, Raglan Maddox, Stephanie Davis, and Michael Kidd.
• Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra Australia.
• Fam Pract. 2021 Nov 24; 38 (6): 811825811-825.

BackgroundCOVID-19 is the fifth and most significant infectious disease epidemic this century. Primary health care providers, which include those working in primary care and public health roles, have critical responsibilities in the management of health emergencies.ObjectiveTo synthesize accounts of primary care lessons learnt from past epidemics and their relevance to COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted a review of lessons learnt from previous infectious disease epidemics for primary care, and their relevance to COVID-19. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, PROQUEST and Google Scholar, hand-searched reference lists of included studies, and included research identified through professional contacts.ResultsOf 173 publications identified, 31 publications describing experiences of four epidemics in 11 countries were included. Synthesis of findings identified six key lessons: (i) improve collaboration, communication and integration between public health and primary care; (ii) strengthen the primary health care system; (iii) provide consistent, coordinated and reliable information emanating from a trusted source; (iv) define the role of primary care during pandemics; (v) protect the primary care workforce and the community and (vi) evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.ConclusionsEvidence highlights distinct challenges to integrating and supporting primary care in response to infectious disease epidemics that have persisted over time, emerging again during COVID-19. These insights provide an opportunity for strengthening, and improved preparedness, that cannot be ignored in a world where the frequency, virility and global reach of infectious disease outbreaks are increasing. It is not too soon to plan for the next pandemic, which may already be on the horizon.© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press.

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