Division of Urology, Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, San Luigi Hospital, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Turin, Italy.
Uro-technology and SoMe Working Group of the Young Academic Urologists (YAU) Working Party of the European Association of Urology (EAU), Arnhem, The Netherlands.
World J Urol. 2021 Aug;39(8):3109-3115. doi: 10.1007/s00345-020-03536-x. Epub 2021 Jan 1.
To assess the use of telemedicine with phone-call visits as a practical tool to follow-up with patients affected by urological benign diseases, whose clinic visits had been cancelled during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients were contacted via phone-call and a specific questionnaire was administered to evaluate the health status of these patients and to identify those who needed an "in-person" ambulatory visit due to the worsening of their condition. Secondarily, the patients' perception of a potential shift towards a "telemedicine" approach to the management of their condition and to indirectly evaluate their desire to return to "in-person" clinic visits.
607 were contacted by phone-call. 87.5% (531/607) of the cases showed stability of the symptoms so no clinic in-person or emergency visits were needed. 81.5% (495/607) of patients were more concerned about the risk of contagion than their urological condition. The median score for phone visit comprehensibility and ease of communication of exams was 5/5; whilst patients' perception of phone visits' usefulness was scored 4/5. 53% (322/607) of the interviewees didn't own the basic supports required to be able to perform a real telemedicine consult according to the required standards.
Telemedicine approach limits the number of unnecessary accesses to medical facilities and represents an important tool for the limitation of the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. However, infrastructures, health workers and patients should reach out to a computerization process to allow a wider diffusion of more advanced forms of telemedicine, such as televisit.
评估使用电话就诊的远程医疗作为一种实用工具，对受 COVID-19 大流行急性阶段影响而取消门诊就诊的泌尿良性疾病患者进行随访。
通过电话联系患者，并进行特定的问卷调查，以评估这些患者的健康状况，并确定因病情恶化而需要进行“面对面”门诊就诊的患者。其次，评估患者对潜在的“远程医疗”管理方式的看法，并间接地评估他们对恢复“面对面”门诊就诊的意愿。
通过电话联系了 607 名患者。87.5%（531/607）的患者症状稳定，无需门诊或急诊就诊。81.5%（495/607）的患者更担心感染风险，而不是他们的泌尿系统状况。电话就诊的理解和检查沟通的便利性的中位数评分为 5/5；而患者对电话就诊有用性的看法得分为 4/5。53%（322/607）的受访者不具备根据要求进行真正远程医疗咨询所需的基本支持。
远程医疗方法限制了不必要的医疗设施就诊次数，是限制传染病（如 COVID-19）传播风险的重要工具。然而，基础设施、卫生工作者和患者应采用计算机化进程，以允许更广泛地推广更先进的远程医疗形式，如电视问诊。
