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When technological innovations do not reach consensus: the case of tele-consultation of andrological patients

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 33, pages 660–662 (2021)Cite this article

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Since the end of February 2020, Italy has witnessed a complete upheaval in the organization of the national and regional health systems due to the pandemic caused by COV-SARS2 (COVID 19). An immediate consequence is a reconversion of clinical activities in all types of hospitals (public, private, and semi-private) leading to a significant delay of scheduled clinical and surgical procedures, including uro-oncological and andrological services [1, 2]. Even urological emergency services have suffered from the pandemic [3].

Under normal circumstances, most clinical andrological activities are regarded as elective procedures. However, during this specific crisis, andrological services have experienced an almost total suspension of activities. As a result, the Italian Association of Andrology (SIA) promoted a series of initiatives in support of the andrological sector [4]. Uro-andrologists in SIA recognized that a period of forced home-based quarantine might exacerbate the incidence and impact of andrological diseases, especially those related to the sexual sphere. Mental health issues are frequently associated with erectile dysfunction, especially depression and anxiety-related disorders, but transitory states of altered mood (i.e., dysfunctional-inducing states resulting from specific life stresses) also occur [5]. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of flare-ups of andrological disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among younger patients. In some Italian regions, the local governments forced hospitals to stop physical urological and andrological outpatient visits. In this situation, SIA decided to offer patients a tele-medical specialist services as an alternative to traditional face-to-face visits. The Urology Unit of the Santa Chiara Regional Hospital in Trento followed this practice, starting from 13 March 2020. An experienced uro-andrology staff member contacted patients by phone by and offered a tele-consultation as a replacement for the scheduled physical visit.

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Fig. 1: Detailed content of the patient satisfaction questionnaire.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

    Paolo Verze & Raffaele Baio

  2. Department of Urology, Santa Chiara Regional Hospital, Trento, Italy

    Tommaso Cai & Gianni Malossini

  3. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Tommaso Cai & Truls E. Bjerklund Johansen

  4. Department of Urology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Truls E. Bjerklund Johansen

  5. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

    Truls E. Bjerklund Johansen

  6. Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences, Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Alessandro Palmieri

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  1. Paolo Verze
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  2. Tommaso Cai
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  3. Gianni Malossini
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Correspondence to Paolo Verze.

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Verze, P., Cai, T., Malossini, G. et al. When technological innovations do not reach consensus: the case of tele-consultation of andrological patients. Int J Impot Res 33, 660–662 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-00348-w

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