A new era and future of education: the impact of pandemic on online learning - a study from the European School of Urology.

Introduction: In contemporary times, the online learning process has become indispensable for healthcare education. In this direction, the European School of Urology (ESU) has taken the challenge to implement new technologies to bring down knowledge barriers. Web-based seminars (webinars) are one of the tools that help us move towards such inclusivity, and in front-facing COVID-19 pandemic, when face-to-face meetings were forbidden. Material and methods: Data from ESU webinars was collected from 2016 to 2022. We described the trends through years of: a) number of webinars per year; b) number of oncological versus non-oncological webinars per year; c) number of registrations per year; d) attendance rate; e) YouTube visualisations. We also analysed audience demographics and COVID-19 impact. Results: We found a 60% increase in webinars launched per year with a trend towards more non-oncological webinars. A 94% rise in the number of registrations and an 85% increase in the attendance ratio from 2016 to 2022 was observed. The mean YouTube visualisations per webinar decreased over 200%. Among registrations, we had a 3:1 male: female ratio, 53% were older than 40, and a 51% were of European precedence. COVID-19 positively impacted webinars with a remarkable increase on the amount of webinars launched, number of registrations and attendance ratio. Conclusions: Webinars are a powerful tool to spread healthcare knowledge, bridging the gap in medical educational access. COVID-19 was a determinant that reinforced its implantation, but our data show that this new learning tool had a positive uptake, and has come to stay.

Primary prevention of anxiety disorders in primary care: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in primary care and have significant social, economic, and interpersonal costs. Primary care is an ideal setting to prevent the appearance of anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of primary prevention interventions in anxiety disorders in the adult population receiving primary health care. METHODS: A literature search was carried out in four databases-PubMed, PsycInfo, Cochrane, and Web of Science-from January 1980 to November 2013. Clinical trials and systematic reviews published in English and non-English languages and that evaluated the efficacy and/or cost-effectiveness of interventions of primary prevention for anxiety in primary care in the general adult population were included. Risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane Risk Bias Tool and Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire. RESULTS: No high-quality research was identified that studied primary prevention of anxiety disorders in the adult population in the primary care setting. The few studies that exist focus on the child-adolescent population or on other types of interventions, usually as secondary prevention. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the need for the development of high-quality clinical trials on the prevention of anxiety disorders in primary care.

Role of biological and non biological factors in congestive heart failure mortality: PREDICE-SCORE: a clinical prediction rule.

BACKGROUND: Congestive heart failure (HF) is a chronic, frequent and disabling condition but with a modifiable course and a large potential for improving. The aim of this project was to develop a clinical prediction model of biological and non biological factors in patients with first diagnosis of HF that facilitates the risk-stratification and decision-making process at the point of care. METHODS AND RESULTS: Historical cohort analysis of 600 patients attended at three tertiary hospitals and diagnosed of a first episode of HF according Framingham criteria. There were followed 1 year. We analyzed sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data with potential prognostic value. The modelling process concluded into a logistic regression multivariable analysis and a predictive rule: PREDICE SCORE. Age, dependency for daily basic activities, creatinine clearance, sodium levels at admission and systolic dysfunction diagnosis (HF with left ventricular ejection fraction 〈 40%) were the selected variables. The model showed a c-statistic of 0.763. PREDICE Score, has range of 22 points to stratifications of 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The follow-up of 600 patients hospitalized by a first episode of congestive HF, allowed us to obtain a predictive 1 year mortality model from the combination of demographic data, routine biochemistry and easy handling social and functional variables at the point of care. The variables included were non-invasive, undemanding to collect, and widely available. It allows for risk stratification and therapeutical targeting and may help in the clinical decisions process in a sustainable way.