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. 2020 Jul;46(suppl.1):207-214.
doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2020.S126.

Impact of Covid-19 on the urology service in United States: perspectives and strategies to face a Pandemic

Giovanni Enrico Cacciamani  1   2 , Mihir Shah  1 , Wesley Yip  1 , Andre Abreu  1 , Daniel Park  1 , Gerhard Fuchs  1
Affiliations

Impact of Covid-19 on the urology service in United States: perspectives and strategies to face a Pandemic

Giovanni Enrico Cacciamani et al. Int Braz J Urol. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Over the course of several weeks following the first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in the U.S., the virus rapidly spread across our communities. It became evident that the pandemic was going to place a severe strain on all components of the U.S. healthcare system, and we needed to adapt our daily practices, training and education. In the present paper we discuss four pillars to face a pandemic: surgical and outpatients service, tele-medicine and tele-education. In the face of unprecedented risks in providing adequate health care to our patients during this current, evolving public health crisis of COVID-19, alternative patient management tools such as telemedicine services, allow clinicians to maintain necessary patient rapport with their healthcare provider when required. As a subspecialty, urology should take full advantage of telehealth and tele-education at this juncture. As tele-urology and tele-education can obviate the potential drawbacks of "social distancing" as it pertains to healthcare, the platform can also reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread, without compromising quality urological care and educational efforts. Telehealth can bring urologists and their patients together, perhaps closer than ever.

Keywords: COVID-19 diagnostic testing [Supplementary Concept]; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Telemedicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Google trends analysis for “Tele-Health OR Telehealth” and Corona Virus. Data are reported in relative search volume.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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