ABSTRACT
La actual pandemia por COVID-19 ha requeridola implementación de medidas drásticas para frenar su avance. Las instalaciones y recursos sanitarios se están destinando de forma total o parcial para la atención de pacientes críticos. Los urólogos, nos hemos encontrado durante las semanas pasadas con cambios importantes que dificultan nuestra práctica clínica diaria. Las actividades ambulatorias como consultas externas y procedimientos ambulatorios, así como las intervenciones quirúrgicas, han tenido que ser suspendidas o retrasadas. Mientras dure esta situación, la actividad médica telemática puede proveer un soporte adecuado utilizando herramientas tecnológicas y tratando de simular las consultas médicas con vídeo llamadas o llamadas por teléfono. Pero muchos servicios y departamentos médico-quirúrgicos no se encuentran listos para implementar una práctica de consultas telemáticas a gran escala porque su experiencia es escasa. Los beneficios de la telemedicina en urología son permitir el seguimiento de pacientes, dar recomendaciones, prescribir medicamentos, y realizar un triaje de qué pacientes precisan una atención presencial en urgencias. Los programas de formación de residentes de urología también han sufrido una interrupción importante de sus actividades cotidianas, ya que se han suspendido consultas, cirugías y actividad académica. En esta situación, el uso de recursos virtuales y el "aprendizaje inteligente"se están utilizando para mantener la docencia. El objetivo de este artículo es proporcionar una revisión de la más reciente literatura acerca del uso de telemedicina en la práctica urológica moderna, con nuestras recomendaciones y conclusiones The COVID-19 pandemic has required drastic measures for an attempt in controlling its spread. Health resources and facilities are being destined for the treatment of critically ill infected patients. During the past weeks, we, as urologists have faced increasingly difficult changes in practice, as outpatient activity and elective surgeries must be postponed in order to save resources and limit the mobilization of patients and faculty. During this conflictive situation, telehealth medicine can provide adequate support using technological tools and trying to simulate face-to-face consults with the use of video or telephone calls. However, many outpatient clinics and facilities are not ready yet for telehealth as their experience in this area is low. The benefits for telemedicine in urology are continuing urologic outpatient follow-up, providing recommendations and prescriptions, and the triage of patients who will need urgent procedures. Urology residency training has suffered an abrupt disruption nowadays as outpatient, surgical and academic meetings are cancelled. In this scenario, virtual strategies and "smart learning"activities are being used to continue education. We provide a review of the latest published literature regarding the use of telehealth medicine or telemedicine for the modern urology practice, alongside our recommendations and conclusions
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine how members of the Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU) are continuing their education in the time of COVID-19. METHODS: A survey was disseminated amongst SIU members worldwide by email. Results were analyzed to examine the influence of age, practice region and settings on continuing medical education (CME) of the respondents. RESULTS: In total, 2494 respondents completed the survey. Internet searching was the most common method of CME (76%; all ps < 0.001), followed by searching journals and textbook including the online versions (62%; all ps < 0.001). Overall, 6% of the respondents reported no time/interest for CME during the pandemic. Although most urologists report using only one platform for their CME (26.6%), the majority reported using ≥ 2 platforms, with approximately 10% of the respondents using up to 5 different platforms. Urologists < 40 years old were more likely to use online literature (69%), podcasts/AV media (38%), online CME courses/webinars (40%), and social media (39%). There were regional variations in the CME modality used but no significant difference in the number of methods by region. There was no significant difference in responses between urologists in academic/public hospitals or private practice. CONCLUSION: During COVID-19, urologists have used web-based learning for their CME. Internet learning and literature were the top frequently cited learning methods. Younger urologists are more likely to use all forms of digital learning methods, while older urologists prefer fewer methods.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Distance/methods , Education, Medical, Continuing , Teaching/trends , Urologists , Urology/education , Age Factors , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Communicable Disease Control/methods , Education, Medical, Continuing/methods , Education, Medical, Continuing/organization & administration , Education, Medical, Continuing/trends , Humans , Internationality , Internet Use/statistics & numerical data , SARS-CoV-2 , Social Media , Surveys and Questionnaires , Urologists/education , Urologists/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To determine the well-being of urologists worldwide during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and whether they have adequate personal protective equipment knowledge and supplies appropriate to their clinical setting. METHODS: Urologists worldwide completed a Société Internationale d'Urologie online survey from 16 April 2020 until 1 May 2020. Analysis was carried out to evaluate their knowledge about protecting themselves and others in the workplace, including their confidence in their ability to remain safe at work, and any regional differences. RESULTS: There were 3488 respondents from 109 countries. Urologists who stated they were moderately comfortable that their work environment offers good protection against coronavirus disease 2019 showed a total mean satisfaction level of 5.99 (on a "0 = not at all" to "10 = very" scale). A large majority (86.33%) were confident about protecting themselves from coronavirus disease 2019 at work. However, only about one-third reported their institution provided the required personal protective equipment (35.78%), and nearly half indicated their hospital has or had limited personal protective equipment availability (48.08%). Worldwide, a large majority of respondents answered affirmatively for testing the healthcare team (83.09%). Approximately half of the respondents (52.85%) across all regions indicated that all surgical team members face an equal risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (52.85%). Nearly one-third of respondents reported that they had experienced social avoidance (28.97%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that urologists lack up-to-date knowledge of preferred protocols for personal protective equipment selection and use, social distancing, and coronavirus disease 2019 testing. These data can provide insights into functional domains from which other specialties could also benefit.