Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
PurposeUrologists’ practices reported decreasing medical care provision and increasing stress experience in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, long-term effects of the pandemic are unknown.MethodsMedical record data of n = 127 urologists were used to assess changes in healthcare provi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1320489/full |
| _version_ | 1797319427139567616 |
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| author | Pia Paffenholz Moritz Platen Karel Kostev Sven H. Loosen Jens Bohlken Bernhard Michalowsky |
| author_facet | Pia Paffenholz Moritz Platen Karel Kostev Sven H. Loosen Jens Bohlken Bernhard Michalowsky |
| author_sort | Pia Paffenholz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeUrologists’ practices reported decreasing medical care provision and increasing stress experience in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, long-term effects of the pandemic are unknown.MethodsMedical record data of n = 127 urologists were used to assess changes in healthcare provision, comparing the pandemic with the pre-pandemic period. An online survey among n = 101 urologists was conducted to assess the physicians’ perceptions of the identified healthcare provision and organizational changes and experiences of anxiety, stress, and support needs during the pandemic waves. Urologists consultations, specialists’ referrals, hospital admissions, documented cancer diagnoses, urologists’ perceptions of causes for these changes and experienced stress, anxiety and support needs. Results were demonstrated using descriptive statistics.ResultsOver the first two years of the pandemic, there was a slight decline in consultations (−0,94%), but more intensive reduction in hospital admissions (−13,6%) and identified cancer diagnoses (−6,2%). Although patients’ behavior was seen as the main reason for the changes, 71 and 61% of consultations of high-risk patients or urgent surgeries were canceled. Telemedical approaches were implemented by 58% of urologists, and 88% stated that the reduced cancer detection rate would negatively affect patients’ outcomes. Urologists reported higher anxiety, stress, and need for support during all waves of the pandemic than other disciplines, especially females.ConclusionThe pandemic tremendously affects urologists’ health care provision and stress experience, possibly causing long-term consequences for patients and physicians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T04:05:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98d39afdc4db4d519753c81c08430325 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T04:05:48Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-98d39afdc4db4d519753c81c084303252024-02-09T05:04:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2024-02-011110.3389/fmed.2024.13204891320489Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in GermanyPia Paffenholz0Moritz Platen1Karel Kostev2Sven H. Loosen3Jens Bohlken4Bernhard Michalowsky5Department of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot Assisted and Reconstructive Urologic Surgery, University of Cologne Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, GermanyGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Site Rostock/Greifswald, Ellernholzstrasse 1-2, Greifswald, GermanyEpidemiology, IQVIA, 60549, Frankfurt, GermanyClinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GermanyOccupational Medicine, and Public Health (ISAP) of the Medical Faculty at the University of LeipzigInstitute for Social Medicine, Leipzig, GermanyGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Site Rostock/Greifswald, Ellernholzstrasse 1-2, Greifswald, GermanyPurposeUrologists’ practices reported decreasing medical care provision and increasing stress experience in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, long-term effects of the pandemic are unknown.MethodsMedical record data of n = 127 urologists were used to assess changes in healthcare provision, comparing the pandemic with the pre-pandemic period. An online survey among n = 101 urologists was conducted to assess the physicians’ perceptions of the identified healthcare provision and organizational changes and experiences of anxiety, stress, and support needs during the pandemic waves. Urologists consultations, specialists’ referrals, hospital admissions, documented cancer diagnoses, urologists’ perceptions of causes for these changes and experienced stress, anxiety and support needs. Results were demonstrated using descriptive statistics.ResultsOver the first two years of the pandemic, there was a slight decline in consultations (−0,94%), but more intensive reduction in hospital admissions (−13,6%) and identified cancer diagnoses (−6,2%). Although patients’ behavior was seen as the main reason for the changes, 71 and 61% of consultations of high-risk patients or urgent surgeries were canceled. Telemedical approaches were implemented by 58% of urologists, and 88% stated that the reduced cancer detection rate would negatively affect patients’ outcomes. Urologists reported higher anxiety, stress, and need for support during all waves of the pandemic than other disciplines, especially females.ConclusionThe pandemic tremendously affects urologists’ health care provision and stress experience, possibly causing long-term consequences for patients and physicians.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1320489/fullambulatory health care systemcancerCOVID-19 pandemicmental healthSARS-CoV2tele medicine |
| spellingShingle | Pia Paffenholz Moritz Platen Karel Kostev Sven H. Loosen Jens Bohlken Bernhard Michalowsky Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Frontiers in Medicine ambulatory health care system cancer COVID-19 pandemic mental health SARS-CoV2 tele medicine |
| title | Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_full | Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_short | Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_sort | medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the covid 19 pandemic in germany |
| topic | ambulatory health care system cancer COVID-19 pandemic mental health SARS-CoV2 tele medicine |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1320489/full |
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