Urological Practice Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary
The emergence of COVID-19 forced urology departments worldwide to rapidly reconfigure workflows, balancing the need to treat life-threatening conditions with the imperative to curb viral transmission. Elective procedures were deferred in favour of urgent and oncological cases, guided by risk-stratification frameworks. Outpatient clinics shifted to remote consultations, allowing triage and treatment planning without in-person contact. Operating theatres adopted enhanced infection-control measures, including dedicated pathways for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients and strict personal protective equipment protocols. Diagnostic services such as cystoscopy and urodynamics were limited to high-priority indications, while ambulatory procedures were minimised. Specialist teams implemented flexible rostering and split-team models to maintain service continuity and minimise cross-exposure. In uro-oncology, prioritisation favoured high-risk tumours, with lower-risk cases monitored via virtual platforms. Stone disease management emphasised interim drainage and medical expulsive therapy, reserving definitive intervention for emergencies. Training programmes integrated tele-education and simulation to compensate for reduced case volumes. Collectively, these adaptations preserved critical urological care, reduced patient and staff risk, and established resilient models for future public health emergencies.
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Urological Practice Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in urological practice adaptations during the covid-19 pandemic across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Telemedicine: The remote delivery of healthcare services and clinical information using telecommunications technology.
Triage: The process of categorising patients by urgency of need to optimise resource allocation and treatment sequencing.
Urolithiasis: The formation of calculi (stones) in the urinary tract, often requiring medical or surgical intervention.
Hydronephrosis: Dilation of the renal pelvis and calyces due to obstruction of urine flow, frequently seen in advanced stone disease.
References
- Impact of COVID-19 on Uro-Oncological Patients: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Microorganisms (2023).
- Impact of COVID-19 on Urology Practice: A Global Perspective and Snapshot Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine (2020).
- Urolithiasis treatment options during COVID-19 pandemic: review of current recommendations and triage systems. African Journal of Urology (2020).
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