Dataset Information

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urologists in Germany.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In order to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Germany has implemented drastic restrictions on public or social life, while health institutions are invoked to postpone elective procedures. Although urologists are less involved in the direct treatment of COVID-19 patients, the current situation strongly affects the urological work routine.

Objective

To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of work and personal life among urologists in Germany.

Design, setting, and participants

A total of 589 urologists in Germany participated in an online survey between March 27 and April 11, 2020.

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis

Participants were stratified into subgroups according to professional characteristics.

Results and limitations

Most urologists rated Germany as "well prepared" and the increasing restrictions of social life as "very positive." Routine operation was more restricted in hospitals than in the outpatient sector (p = 0.046). Moreover, urologists from the outpatient sector felt significantly less prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.001), reported a higher shortage of protective medical equipment (p < 0.001), and described a tendency toward a higher level of threat (p = 0.054). Although restrictions regarding telemedicine approaches were reported by 60% of participants, the outpatient sector used telehealth more frequently than hospitals (25.5% vs 17.0%, p < 0.001). Limitations include the national design and the restricted survey period.

Conclusions

This survey systematically evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal and professional aspects of German urologists. We identified several issues, such as a higher shortage of medical protective equipment in the outpatient sector that could trigger specific measures to further improve the quality of urological care in Germany.

Patient summary

We evaluated a potential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on professional and personal aspects of the urologists in Germany. Our results suggest that the outpatient sector should receive specific attention as, for example, shortage of protective equipment was more common.

SUBMITTER: Paffenholz P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7834409 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urologists in Germany.

Paffenholz Pia P Peine Arne A Fischer Nicolas N Hellmich Martin M Pfister David D Heidenreich Axel A Loosen Sven H SH

European urology focus 20200608 5

<h4>Background</h4>In order to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Germany has implemented drastic restrictions on public or social life, while health institutions are invoked to postpone elective procedures. Although urologists are less involved in the direct treatment of COVID-19 patients, the current situation strongly affects the urological work routine.<h4>Objective</h4>To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of work and personal life among ur ...[more]

PMID: 32576530

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Project description:ObjectivesTo gain insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ongoing health research projects, using projects from a selected funding programme in Germany as an example.DesignOnline survey and validation workshop.SettingLockdowns and social distancing policies impact on clinical and public health research in various forms, especially if unrelated to COVID-19. Research institutions have reduced onsite activities, data are often collected remotely, and during the height of the crisis, clinical researchers were partially forced to abandon their projects in favour of front-line care.Participants survey120 investigators of health research projects across Germany, performed between 15 and 25 May 2020; workshop: 32 investigators, performed on 28 May 2020.ResultsThe response rate (78%) showed that the survey generated significant interest among investigators. 85 responses were included for analysis, and the majority of investigators (93%) reported that their projects were affected by the pandemic, with many (80%) stating that data collection was not possible as planned, and they could not carry out interventions as intended (67%). Other impacts were caused by staff being unavailable, for example, through child or elder care commitments or because of COVID-19 quarantine or illness. Investigators also reported that publications were delayed or not feasible at all (56%), and some experienced problems with PhD or Masters theses (18%). The majority of investigators had mitigation strategies in place such as adjustment of data collection methods using digital tools (46%) or of project implementation in general (46%), others made changes in research design or research questions (27%).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted on health research projects. The main challenge is now to mitigate negative effects and to improve long-term resilience in health research. The pandemic has also acted as a driver of innovation and change, for example, by accelerating the use of digital methods.

Dataset Information

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urologists in Germany.

Background

Objective

Design, setting, and participants

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis

Results and limitations

Conclusions

Patient summary

Publications

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urologists in Germany.

Similar Datasets

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