Comparison of the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia between doctors in general hospitals and community hospitals in urban China / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To comparing the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) between doctors in general hospitals and community hospitals,and to provide scientific clues for the standardization in medical practice.Methods General and community hospitals in urban China were selected via the stratified sampling.127,325 outpatients in these hospitals from December 2011 to December 2012 were randomly recruited.Results The average age of patients was(67.82±8.62) years.There were significant differences in I-PSS,prostate volume,urinary flow rate(UFR) and result of digital rectal examination(DRE) between patients in general and community hospitals.The rates of diagnostic applications were different between doctors in the two kinds of hospitals except I-PSS.Compared with community hospitals,DRE was more frequently applied while ultrasonic inspection and UFR test were less used in general hospitals in North China.A totally opposite situation was observed in East China as compared with the north.The application rates of DRE and UFR test were lower and ultrasonic inspection rate was higher in community hospitals than in general hospitals in South China.Pharmacotherapy was the most common treatment for BPH patients in both types of hospitals(97.53 ％).The rates of drug combinations were statistically different but both were close to 75％ in the two types of hospitals.In community hospitals,the percentage of patients receiving watchful waiting with severe symptoms and signs were lower than that of patients receiving watchful waiting with moderate symptoms and signs,but the percentage of patients receiving operation was not significantly increased.On the contrary,the percentage of patients receiving operation with severe symptoms and signs was higher than that of patients receiving operation with moderate symptoms and signs in general hospitals,but the percentage of patients receiving watchful waiting was not decreased.Conclusions Applications of diagnostic methods are significantly different between doctors in general hospitals and community hospitals and vary among regions.Therapeutic strategies are correlated with the severity of obstructive symptoms or signs.The medication strategy is similar between the two types of doctors.