Telemedicine and smart working: Spanish adaptation of the European Association of Urology recommendations
Actas Urol Esp (Engl Ed). 2020 Dec;44(10):644-652.
doi: 10.1016/j.acuro.2020.08.010.
Epub 2020 Sep 11.
[Article in
English,
Spanish]
Authors
J Gómez Rivas
1
, A Rodríguez-Serrano
2
, S Loeb
3
, J Yuen-Chun Teoh
4
, M J Ribal
5
, J Bloemberg
6
, J Catto
7
, J ŃDow
8
, H van Poppel
9
, J González
10
, M Esteban
11
, M Rodriguez Socarrás
12
Affiliations
- 1 Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España; Young Academic Urologist-Urotechnology working party (ESUT-YAU), European Association of Urology, Arnhem, Países Bajos. Electronic address: juangomezr@gmail.com.
- 2 Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.
- 3 Department of Urology and Population Health, New York University and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, EE. UU.
- 4 S.H. Ho Urology Centre, Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
- 5 Servicio de Urología, Hospital Clinic, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
- 6 European Association of Urology, Arnhem, Países Bajos.
- 7 Academic Urology Unit, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- 8 Academic Urology Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
- 9 Department of Urology, Katholieke University, Leuven, Bélgica.
- 10 Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, España.
- 11 Servicio de Urología, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Toledo, España.
- 12 Instituto de Cirugía Urológica Avanzada (ICUA), Madrid, España.
Abstract
Introduction:
Telemedicine provides remote clinical support through technology tools. It can facilitate medical care delivery while reducing unnecessary office visits. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused an abrupt change in our daily urological practice, where teleconsultations play a crucial role.
Objective:
To provide practical recommendations for the effective use of technological tools in telemedicine.
Materials and methods:
A literature search was conducted on Medline until April 2020. We selected the most relevant articles related to «telemedicine» and «smart working» that could provide valuable information.
Results:
Telemedicine refers to the use of electronic information and telecommunication tools to provide remote clinical health care support. Smart working is a working approach that uses new or existing technologies to improve performance. Telemedicine is becoming a useful and fundamental tool during the COVID-19 pandemic and will be even more in the future. It is time for us to officially give telemedicine the place it deserves in clinical practice, and it is our responsibility to adapt and familiarize with all the tools and possible strategies for its optimal implementation. We must guarantee that the quality of care received by patients and perceived by them and their families is of the highest standard.
Conclusions:
Telemedicine facilitates remote specialized urological clinical support and solves problems caused by limited patient mobility or transfer, reduces unnecessary visits to clinics and is useful to reduce the risk of COVID-19 viral transmission.
Keywords:
COVID-19; Redes sociales; Smart working; Social media; Telehealth; Telemedicina; Telemedicine; Telesalud; Teletrabajo; Teleworking; Trabajo inteligente; Video consultation; Videoconsulta.
Copyright © 2020 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
MeSH terms
-
Air Pollution / prevention & control
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Appointments and Schedules
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COVID-19 / epidemiology*
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Confidentiality
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Diagnostic Techniques, Urological
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Electronic Health Records
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Europe / epidemiology
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Humans
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Informed Consent
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Pandemics*
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Practice Guidelines as Topic
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Quality of Health Care
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SARS-CoV-2*
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Societies, Medical
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Telemedicine* / organization & administration
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Telemedicine* / standards
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Triage / methods
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Urology / methods*
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Urology / organization & administration
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Urology / standards