Search

Background and Aim: The current COVID-19 pandemic scenario has driven surgical departments to a transformation. The worldwide spread of the disease has led to a public health quarantine where health care professionals are at high risk of infection. In this context, telemedicine has been promoted and scaled up to reduce the risk of transmission. This study aims to demonstrate that a combined framework based on telematics and in-person clinical encounter not only ensures medical care but the safety of healthcare professionals and patients., Material and Method: Descriptive observational study on the follow-up of patients during the COVID19 Pandemic, combining telephone and traditional., Results: A total of 5031 telephone calls were made, differentiating between medical referrals, specialized primary care visits, and outpatient consultation. They were classified as successful, required an in-person visit, or no successful telephone contact. Furthermore, we divided them into 2 groups: resolved and unresolved. 53% of all telematic visits were successful., Conclusions: Telematic medical systems are a feasible option in a orthopedics department and an interesting resource to preserve once the pandemic is resolved. Future lines of research should be opened to improve system success, analyze its cost-effectiveness ratio, and correct any legal conflicts that may exist., (Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Objectives: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, all surgical activity that was not life threatening was cancelled , as well as most face-to-face consultations. Currently the beginning of the de-escalation phases that will led us to a new normal, forces us to establish some degree of priority in the interventions as well as in the medical consultations. Our objective is to establish some recommendation on Functional Urology office visits and surgical interventions that serve as a tool to facilitate decision-making. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experts in Functional Urology from different autonomous communities of Spain were contacted to design a strategy to reorganize the activity of both, diagnosis and treatment. A modified nominal group technique has been used due to the extraordinary restrictions of assembly and mobility during the COVID pandemic. The first signer (EMC) made the first draft with the measures adopted and the strategy to be followed during the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal was sent to the rest of the authors, in order to unify criteria and experiences to reach a quick consensus on the relative priority of the different activities, problems and solutions. A final version was approved by all authors May 27, 2020. RESULTS: Tables of recommendation have been prepared for outpatient consultation, surgical and technical interventions, according to de-escalation phases proposed by the Spanish Associations of Surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: The change that COVID-19 Pandemich as involved in our clinical practice force us to seek alternative methods to treat our patients, some of which may already be established. Mean while, a consensusin decision making is necessary. Documents such as the current one, are intended to guide the management of patients with urological functional pathology in exceptional situations. Logically, it should be adapted to material and human availability, and to the idiosyncrasy of each Urology service.