To quantitatively assess the global change in surgical and oncological clinical practice in urology during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its significance for patient care.
Key Findings:
93% of urologists reported changes in clinical practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a widespread impact on patient care.
44% of urologists were in stage 1 of surgical down-escalation, with only emergency cases being prioritized in stage 4, raising concerns about treatment delays.
The survey included responses from 235 urologists across 44 countries, with a majority from high-risk COVID-19 areas, reflecting a global perspective.
Interpretation:
The findings indicate a significant global shift in urological surgical practices due to the pandemic, raising ethical concerns regarding patient care and treatment delays, necessitating urgent discussions on prioritization.
Limitations:
The survey was conducted early in the pandemic, limiting the scope of changes observed and potentially affecting the generalizability of the results.
Responses may not fully represent all urologists globally due to non-targeted dissemination, which could skew the findings.
Conclusion:
The study highlights the urgent need for prioritization strategies in surgical and oncological practices during pandemics to mitigate adverse outcomes for patients, suggesting frameworks for future decision-making.
by Robert Dotzauer, Katharina Böhm, Maximilian Peter Brandt, Peter Sparwasser, Maximilian Haack, Sebastian. Karl Frees, Mohamed Mostafa Kamal, René Mager, Wolfgang Jäger, Thomas Höfner, Igor Tsaur, Axel Haferkamp, Hendrik Borgmann
