Effect of SARS and COVID-19 outbreaks on urology practice and training.
Hong Kong Med J
; 27(4): 258-265, 2021 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33632937
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The objective was to investigate the changes in urology practice during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with a perspective from our experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.METHODS:
Institutional data from all urology centres in the Hong Kong public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic (1 Feb 2020-31 Mar 2020) and a non-COVID-19 control period (1 Feb 2019-31 Mar 2019) were acquired. An online anonymous questionnaire was used to gauge the impact of COVID-19 on resident training. The clinical output of tertiary centres was compared with data from the SARS period.RESULTS:
The numbers of operating sessions, clinic attendance, cystoscopy sessions, prostate biopsy, and shockwave lithotripsy sessions were reduced by 40.5%, 28.5%, 49.6%, 44.8%, and 38.5%, respectively, across all the centres reviewed. The mean numbers of operating sessions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were 85.1±30.3 and 50.6±25.7, respectively (P=0.005). All centres gave priority to cancer-related surgeries. Benign prostatic hyperplasia-related surgery (39.1%) and ureteric stone surgery (25.5%) were the most commonly delayed surgeries. The degree of reduction in urology services was less than that during SARS (47.2%, 55.3%, and 70.5% for operating sessions, cystoscopy, and biopsy, respectively). The mean numbers of operations performed by residents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were 75.4±48.0 and 34.9±17.2, respectively (P=0.002).CONCLUSION:
A comprehensive review of urology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed changes in every aspect of practice.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Health context:
1_ASSA2030
/
2_ODS3
/
4_TD
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Urologic Surgical Procedures
/
Urology
/
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
/
Communicable Disease Control
/
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
/
COVID-19
/
Internship and Residency
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Hong Kong Med J
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article