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INTRODUCTION: The outbreak of coronavirus has put additional pressure on the health care systems of many countries; but telemedicine can be an important way to deal with it, especially for people whose health has been affected by the virus. The present study aims to investigate the Implementation of a Tele-urology Program for Reconstructive Urologic Referrals: Initial Results and Patient Satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients with a history of a urethral reconstructive surgery during last year was entered to our study and two nurses collected data of demographic and past medical history of patients by existed. Telephone visits:Fellowship of reconstructive urology was connected to patients during a phone call and filled the USS-PROM and COVID-19 questionnaires. Face to face visits: All patients were asked to answer the questionnaire about recent exposure and infection by corona virus, recent travel and other risk factors of COVID-19. RESULTS: Mean of USSPROM scale was calculated as 1.65 (+2.91) with a range of 0-15. Based on categorization for USSPROM scale, 74 patients (94.8%) had mild symptoms while 4 patients (5.1%) had moderate symptoms and needed further medical attention. Four patients with moderate USSPROM score were required to cystoscopic evaluation, which one patient with moderate USSPROM score had severe stricture and candidate for redo urethroplasty. Two other patients need for urethral stricture dilatation. Cost was calculated based on taxi-service fee. Accordingly, the average (+SD) cost for in-person visits to the physician was estimated as 4.80 + 4.32 million Rials. In terms of distance, the average distance for receiving medical services according to the patient`s residence area was 373.2 +348.79 kilometres.In terms of the patient`s opinion regarding virtual examination, inappropriateness of virtual visits for physical examination, and patient`s inability to explain the problem correctly, patient`s condition at the time of the virtual visit were the main challenges reported by the respondent. CONCLUSION: Considering that the present COVID-19 emergency will likely last for months, telehealth could be the safest way to deliver urological care for a large percentage of the patients, such as those who are more at risk of unfavorable outcomes of COVID-19.
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Background: Families of individuals hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) with severe illnesses, such as COVID-19, are experiencing a range of physical and emotional stressors. Identifying the challenges faced by family members and providing support to loved ones battling life-threatening diseases can lead to improved treatment and care for the said family members in a healthcare setting. Aim: The current study was conducted to explore and understand the experiences of family caregivers caring for their loved ones battling COVID-19 in an ICU. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study was conducted from January 2021 to February 2022, based on the experiences of 12 family caregivers of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the ICU. Data collection was conducted through purposeful sampling using semi-structured interviews. MAXQDA10 software was used for data management, and conventional content analysis was used for qualitative data analysis. Results: The present study conducted interviews with caregivers to understand their experiences while caring for a loved one in an ICU. Three main themes emerged from the analysis of these interviews: hardship of care trajectory, pre-loss mourning, and contributing factors in resolving family health crises. The first theme, the hardship of care trajectories, encompasses categories such as immersion in the unknown, lack of care facilities, negligence in care, neglect of families by healthcare providers, self-ignorance, and perceived stigma. The second these was pre-loss mourning that included some categories such as emotional and psychological turmoil, witnessing the exhaustion of loved ones, separation suffering, the fearing of loss, anticipatory grief, blame related to the disease causative agents, and perceived helplessness and despair. The third theme was contributing factors in resolving family health crises that included categories of the critical role of family caregivers in health engagement, the role of healthcare professionals in health engagement, and the role of interpersonal factors in health engagement. A total of 80 subcategories were also obtained based on the experiences of the family caregivers. Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that families can play an important role in resolving their loved ones' health problems in life-threatening situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, healthcare providers must recognize and prioritize family-based care and trust the families' ability to effectively manage health crises. Healthcare providers should also be attentive to the needs of both the patient and their family members.