Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical and Academic Urological Practice: A Survey from European Association of Urology Section of Uro-technology.

BACKGROUND: The unexpected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide rapidly, developing into a global health crisis. At the same time, it has seriously impacted the daily activities in all the fields of urology. OBJECTIVE: To better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical, academic, and scientific activities as well as on the quality of life of urologists from the main centers in Europe. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a survey using a 37-item questionnaire. The survey included three main sections: clinical practice, academic/scientific activities, and personal/social quality of life. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: A descriptive analysis was performed using the collected data. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 107 representatives affiliated to different centers from 22 countries completed the survey. Clinical activities were affected in 54.2% of the centers, and 85.0% of the elective surgeries were cancelled. Of the urological departments, 64.5% were still performing minimally invasive surgery for malignant disease. In 33.6% of the hospitals, dedicated and specially equipped operating theaters for COVID-19-positive patients were not available. According to 72.9% of participants, COVID-19 had a substantial negative impact on academic activities, and 82.3% of the respondents agreed that their quality of life has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Finally, 92.5% of the participants believe that the pandemic will have a moderate to severe impact on the health system of their countries. CONCLUSIONS: Data collected in this survey provide insight into changes brought about in clinical and academic settings amid COVID-19. Along with shortages such as bed occupancy and personal protective equipment, it highlights negative impacts on academic and scientific activities, including the personal and social life of urologists. PATIENT SUMMARY: It is essential to understand the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on clinical, academic, and scientific urological activities, as well as on related personal and social issues.

European Association of Urology Guidelines Office Rapid Reaction Group: An Organisation-wide Collaborative Effort to Adapt the European Association of Urology Guidelines Recommendations to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Era.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unlike anything seen before by modern science-based medicine. Health systems across the world are struggling to manage it. Added to this struggle are the effects of social confinement and isolation. This brings into question whether the latest guidelines are relevant in this crisis. We aim to support urologists in this difficult situation by providing tools that can facilitate decision making, and to minimise the impact and risks for both patients and health professionals delivering urological care, whenever possible. We hope that the revised recommendations will assist urologist surgeons across the globe to guide the management of urological conditions during the current COVID-19 pandemic.