ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled widespread incorporation of telehealth into Urology practices. Vasectomy consultation via telehealth is convenient and improves access to care for male contraception. However, it does not allow for physical examination, inherently leading to possible day-ofprocedure cancellations due to unforeseen anatomic concerns. This study aimed to compare vasectomy completion rates between patients undergoing virtual versus in-person consultation. METHOD(S): All patients seen by a single provider at NYU Langone Health for vasectomy consultation between October 2016 and June 2022 were included in the study. Most patients seen before March 2020 had in-person consultations, whereas the majority of patients seen afterwards had virtual consultations due to the emergence of COVID- 19. All patients seen virtually were examined in a consult room prior to being prepped for the vasectomy in the procedure room. Visit type, demographic information, and clinical outcomes data were collected for all patients. A chi-squared test was used to compare the rate of vasectomy completion between those with in-person and virtual consultation. Analysis was performed using R, version 4.0.5. RESULT(S): 491 patients were seen by a single provider for vasectomy consultation between October 2016 and June 2022. 197 (40.1%) consultations were performed virtually and 294 (59.9%) consultations were performed in-person. 370 (75.4%) of all patients seen for consultation (both virtual and in-person) ultimately underwent vasectomy. There was no evidence of difference in rate of completing vasectomy after virtual (75.6%) and in-person (75.2%) consultation (p=.91). Two of the 197 (1%) patients who consulted virtually had their vasectomy procedures cancelled on the day of the procedure based on their pre-operative exam;one because of abnormal epididymal sensitivity after prior scrotal infection, the other because of a history of orchiopexy that the patient was not aware of until the surgeon started inquiring about scrotal scars present. CONCLUSION(S): Despite the lack of physical examination, virtual vasectomy consultation is both feasible and effective, with rates of vasectomy completion comparable to traditional in-person consultation.
ABSTRACT
To provide a project-based learning experience during the COVID-19 outbreak, we mailed experimental kits to 285 undergraduate students and developed curriculum for a multi-player online robot simulation game. Students successfully achieved cognitive objectives and rated the remote learning experience comparably to the prior-year in-person implementation. However, there was a 10% decrease in self-reported motivation for the project and only 15% of students endorsed offering the course online in the future. Students most frequently felt that reduced quality of interaction was a key difficulty (43%) and seldom identified reduced hands-on experiences (7%) as a difficulty, a course aspect they identified as the most motivating. Preserving the known benefits of project-based learning for engineering retention will likely require improving remote collaboration strategies for hands-on activities. © 2020
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the attitudes of Chinese residents toward COVID-19 vaccines and explore the potential drivers for Chinese residents' vaccine hesitancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 16 to March 16, 2021, by administering an online questionnaire to the Chinese residents. RESULTS: Of 5240 residents who completed the survey, 464 (8.9%) participants reported to have had one shot, and 348 (6.6%) reported to have had 2 shots. At the time the questionnaire was administered, 2298 (43.9%) participants reported they wanted to get vaccinated, while 2255 (43.0%) declared that they still did not know, and 687 (13.1%) respondents declared vaccine refusal. Overall, 2255 (43%) participants were categorized as vaccine hesitancy. Female participants (p=0.000), <20 years old (p=0.000), have low risk of COVID-19 (p=0.000) infection and strong associations of vaccine hesitancy. eHealth literacy was a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show high rates of vaccine hesitancy in China. This could pose a serious threat to the preventive measures that aimed at controlling COVID-19 spread in the country. The government and different media platforms should encourage the dissemination of correct information about vaccines, the communities and medical staff to improve residents' knowledge about vaccines, and strive to improve residents' electronic health literacy.