Impact of COVID-19 on management of urogynaecology patients: a rapid review of the literature

Older Patient Receptivity to the Integration of Patient Portals and Telehealth in Urogynecology: Promoters and Deterrents

IMPORTANCE

Limited studies focus on the integration of online portals, including telehealth services, in urogynecology while identifying promoters and deterrents of utilization, especially for the older population.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify facilitators, concerns, technical or personal issues encountered, and the desired features of the online patient portals among older urogynecology patients.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study of older patients (≥65 years). The survey was devised using 2 focus groups with questions addressing older patient practicality and comfort with virtual visits for menopause and urogynecology-specific conditions.

RESULTS

A total of 205 patients completed the study. Promoters of use included health care professional encouragement, enrollment on site with concurrent education, and clarification of relevance of the virtual care to one's care. Patients who were uncomfortable with portal use reported anxiety and technical issues as deterrents for using such technology. More than half of the patients were comfortable having online visits for preoperative (51.7%), postoperative (66.3%), and medical management (73.7%). Up to 60.5% of the patients believed that virtual visits were equally stressful as in-person visits, whereas 24.4% believed that the logistics of in-person visits were the cause of stress.

CONCLUSIONS

To improve access to care, augment the utilization of online patient portals, and combat ageism, enhancing the older urogynecologic patient's portal experience is vital. Investment in this population's needs includes education of patients, active enrollment, and engagement by health care systems, and addressing technical concerns.

Non-oncological gynecological diagnoses in a women's health care service during the pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

OBJECTIVE

Analyze clinical factors and non-oncological gynecological diagnoses before and during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

Crosssectional study at an Outpatient Gynecology Clinic in Brazil involving medical consultations performed during the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. The number of visits, prevalence of non-oncological gynecological diagnoses, and clinical-demographic data were analyzed. Parametric continuous variables were evaluated by Student's t-test and ANOVA tests, non-parametric variables were evaluated by the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests, and categorical or binary variables were evaluated by chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Univariate logistic regression tests were performed, and variables with p ≤ 0.20 were subjected to multivariate logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

There were 1,236 records during the pre-pandemic period and 530 during the pandemic, reflecting a significant reduction (57.88%; p = 0.001) in medical consultations. The outpatient prevalence of women older than 50 y (OR 0.85; 95%CI 0.68-1.05) reduced, and the outpatient prevalence of postmenopausal women with hot flashes (OR 1.34; 95%CI 1.09-1.65; p = 0.005) and alcohol consumption habits (OR 2.76; 95%CI 1.15-6.59; p = 0.023) increased. There was a 6% proportional increase in noninflammatory disorders of the female genital tract (p = 0.030) and a 72.4% decrease in general physical examinations, contraception, and procreation (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that there was an increased prevalence of abnormal uterine bleeding (OR, 1.7; 95% CI 1.34-2.16; p = 0.001) and endometriosis (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.13-2.42; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Medical consultations for benign gynecological diseases during the pandemic prevented non-inflammatory disorders of the female genital tract, with an emphasis on abnormal uterine bleeding and endometriosis. There was an increased prevalence of women under 50 years of age, women with symptoms of hot flashes, and alcohol consumption habits and a reduction in the prevalence of general physical examinations, contraception, and procreation.

Patient Satisfaction With Telehealth Visits for New Patient Appointments for Pelvic Floor Disorders: A Randomized Trial of Telehealth Versus Standard In-Person Office Visits

IMPORTANCE

The acceptability and safety of telehealth have been reported in urogynecology for preoperative and postoperative care but not new patient consultation.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine if new patient telehealth encounters are noninferior to in-person encounters for women presenting to a urogynecology clinic using a satisfaction questionnaire. Secondary objectives were to describe patient experiences and follow-up.

STUDY DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial of telehealth versus in-person consults for new patients with any urogynecologic condition was conducted. Patients completed the validated Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire 18 (PSQ-18) after the visit. The primary outcome was composite PSQ-18 score. Using a noninferiority margin of 5 points on the PSQ-18, 25 patients per arm were required with a power of 80% and an α of 0.05.

RESULTS

From March to September 2021, 133 patients were screened, 71 were randomized, and 58 were included in the final analysis (30 telehealth and 28 in-person). Demographic characteristics were similar between groups. Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire 18 composite scores were high for both groups but higher for in-person versus telehealth visits (75.68 ± 8.55 vs 66.60 ± 11.80; P = 0.001; difference, 9.08); results were inconclusive with respect to noninferiority. Women in the telehealth group expressed uncertainty regarding the telehealth format. There were no differences in short-term follow-up, communication with the office, or treatment chosen between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Women seen by urogynecologic providers for a new consult both via in-person or telehealth visits demonstrated high satisfaction with their first visit. We were unable to determine if telehealth is noninferior to in-person visits. Our study adds to the literature that telehealth is safe, effective, and acceptable to patients.

Impact of covid-19 on subspecialty training in obstetrics and gynaecology

The Covid-19 pandemic brought substantial changes in clinical practice in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O and G). Redeployment of staff and restrictions in elective services raised training concerns. We sought to assess the impact on subspecialty training, to identify issues to help mitigate the impact. We conducted cross-sectional anonymous electronic surveys of UK subspecialty trainees at three time points: June 2020, February 2021, September 2021. Surveys were analysed by descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of free-text responses. Response rates ranged from 30% to 40%, with higher response rates from urogynaecology trainees. Up to 72% reported an impact on training, most notable in gynaecological subspecialties, and particularly urogynaecology, which persisted over time. More than a third anticipated needing extra time to complete training. This raises serious future workforce and patient care concerns. Clinical recovery should consider training needs as essential when re-establishing services. Subspecialty trainees may need additional time to achieve competencies required of future consultants.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on the subject? Covid-19 led to dramatic changes in clinical practice in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Previous studies on training in O and G during the pandemic in the UK and internationally highlighted issues from redeployment, trainee absence, and changes in service provision, that had potential to severely impact training.What do the results of this study add? Subspecialty training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology has been affected by the pandemic. Urogynaecology was worst affected and continues to be affected over the course of the pandemic.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Covid-19 recovery plans need to incorporate training requirements. Extended training due to the pandemic may affect consultant workforce numbers and thus service provision in tertiary care.

Timing of surgery and elective perioperative management of patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection: a SIAARTI expert consensus statement

Background

The appropriate timing of surgery and perioperative management of patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection are open issues. The purpose of this document is to support the clinical decision-making process regarding the patient with previous Sars-CoV-2 infection to undergo elective surgery. The recipients of this document are physicians, nurses, healthcare personnel, and other professionals involved in the patient’s surgical process.

Methods

The Italian Society of Anesthesia Analgesia Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) selected 11 experts to reach a consensus on key aspects of this theme in adult and pediatric population. The methods of this process document were in accordance to the principles of rapid review of the scientific literature and modified Delphi method. The experts produced statements and supporting reasons in the form of an informative text. The overall list of statements was subjected to a vote in order to express the degree of consent.

Results

Patients should not undergo elective surgery within 7 weeks of infection unless there is the risk of a negative evolution of the disease. To mitigate the risk of postsurgical mortality, a multidisciplinary approach seemed useful in addition to the use of validated algorithms to estimate the risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality; the risk related to SARS-CoV-2 infection should be added. The risk of potential nosocomial contagion from a positive patients should also be considered when deciding to proceed with surgery. Most of the evidence came from previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, so the evidence should be considered indirect.

Conclusion

A balanced preoperative multidisciplinary risk–benefit evaluation is needed in patients with previous infection by SARS-CoV-2 for elective surgery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44158-022-00058-3.

Implementing telemedicine in urogynecology: A feasibility study

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Telemedicine has been recommended for the management of urogynecological conditions during the coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of telemedicine for urogynecology at a Brazilian public hospital.

METHODS

A descriptive observational study was performed at a urogynecology outpatient clinic. The primary outcome was the desire to continue with telemedicine. Secondary outcomes were appointment resolvability, technical aspects of the appointment, and patient satisfaction. The participants had in-person appointments that were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and clinical and technical aspects of the appointments. The participants responded to satisfaction questionnaires 7-15 days post-procedure. The categorical variables were evaluated based on absolute and relative frequency. The continuous variables were described as the mean and standard deviation. A chi-square test was performed to determine the association between variables.

RESULTS

In total, 225 patients had appointments canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 171 were eligible for the study. Telemedicine appointments were agreed upon by 48% of the participants and 85.5% responded to the satisfaction survey. We found that 57.7% of the participants desired to continue with telemedicine. The appointment resolvability rate was 76.1%, 63.4% of the appointments met the technical criteria, and the satisfaction rate was 93%. The only variable associated with the desire to continue telemedicine was overall patient satisfaction (p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine in urogynecology is feasible and can be implemented in the studied population. However, actions are essential to adequately support patient preference and improve the acceptance of telemedicine.

A rapid systematic review of postpartum bladder care guidelines and recommendations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

New pathways for the management of postpartum voiding dysfunction and postpartum urinary retention should be considered to shorten hospital stays and promote early discharge during the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid systematic review aimed to identify relevant national and international guidelines, and summarise available recommendations on postpartum bladder care that are relevant to women's care and management at the time of the pandemic. We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane from inception till September 2021. Hand-searching of national and international specialist societies' websites was performed. We identified one international technical consultation, one international society's report of recommendations and two national guidelines. Guidelines stated that postnatal women should not be left more than 6 hours without voiding and assessed for postpartum urinary retention. As the cut-off of 150 ml for the diagnosis of significant postvoid residual volume is commonly used with no reported adverse outcomes, it could be beneficial to adopt this instead of 100 ml as further unnecessary interventions can be avoided. Such changes can reduce the number of women staying in the hospital. Clean intermittent self-catheterisation for the management of postpartum urinary retention could be considered as an option during the COVID-19 pandemic aiming to shorten hospital stays and avoid further attendances. Optimised bladder care has become more relevant during the coronavirus pandemic by striving towards self-care, community-based and remote care. We propose consideration of intermittent self-catheterisation in cases of postpartum urinary retention enabling self-care and avoidance of hospital visits.

Covid-19, pelvic health, and women's voices: A descriptive study

Objective

To examine how the pandemic affected women with pelvic dysfunction.

Methods

A Survey Monkey™ online questionnaire on how the pandemic and Covid-19 infection affected women's pelvic problems, exercise, and weight. A free text box captured their comments.

Results

Six hundred and forty-seven women took part. Bladder control 265 (41%), prolapse 240 (37%), pelvic pain 40 (6%), sexual dysfunction 27 (4%), faecal incontinence 19 (3%) and other symptoms 56 (9%) were women's main pelvic problems. Symptoms were unchanged for 331 (51%), worse for 243 (38%), and improved for 60 (10%). Weight was gained by 290 (45%), unchanged by 243 (38%), and lost by 114 (17%). Exercise levels were unchanged, worse, or better in 33% each. Access to medical appointments and date for surgery were difficult for 235 (36.5%) and 38 (6%) women respectively. Sixty-six (10.3%) women reported Covid-19 infection: the distribution of pelvic problems and changes through the pandemic, weight and exercise patterns, and difficulty accessing a date for surgery or healthcare were similar to those not contracting infection. Sexual dysfunction was the main new or worsening problem, featuring 13 women (18%). Seventy women - 16 postnatal, and 54 with a pre-existing pelvic problem commented. Five core themes were identified. Difficulty accessing healthcare review, mental health impact and physiotherapy services especially affected delivered women: lifestyle alterations and conservative treatment tools were prominent in women with a pre-existing problem.

Conclusions

Pelvic floor dysfunction adversely affected women's mental health in the pandemic through limiting their ability to exercise. Furthermore, the pandemic exposed the fact that female pelvic health services are not readily available to those in need: many women particularly postnatally received no care. Sexual dysfunction was a feature of recovery from Covid infection in this study.

Impact of COVID-19 in gynaecological oncology care: a systematic rapid review

Purpose

Synthesis of available evidence on clinical practice in gynaecological oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic is highly warranted, as women with cancer are at increased risk due to their systemic immunosuppressed state and changes in their care are inevitable. Rapid review of available data is a quick way of providing useful information and insight into the way medical practice has been affected by the COVID pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a systematic rapid review, based on a literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL. We considered all studies on gynaecological oncology care during the COVID-19 pandemic using relevant keywords and MeSH terms. Selection criteria were English language, studies with more than five cases and publication in peer-review journal.

Results

Nine retrospective studies, one systematic review and five questionnaire surveys were included. Quality of the studies has been assessed. Development of higher quality evidence is warranted. Mortality of COVID-19 infection is higher in patients with gynaecological cancer than in non-cancer patients. Reported delays in diagnosis and management of cancer and changes in treatments, may affect the natural history of cancer and increase patients’ anxiety and fear of disease progression while causing concerns to healthcare professionals affecting their clinical practice. The number of new diagnoses has declined. Prioritization is important, face-to-face interactions should be limited, and appropriate protective measures are essential. Cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy should continue as high priority practices.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical practice significantly. Adaptations in clinical practice may improve mortality and complication rates.

A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on stress urinary incontinence in women for the development of a Core Outcome Set: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Given the high variation of perceptions of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), qualitative meta-synthesis in this field appears warranted. We aimed to synthesize evidence on women's experiences of SUI by analyzing qualitative data.

METHODS

A literature search of Medline, Embase, Scopus, PsycInfo, and CINAHL databases was performed by a CHORUS Working Group, from inception to August 2020. Qualitative studies on women's perspectives on SUI were included. Thematic analysis was used as a conceptual approach to analyze the data and develop a set of overarching themes. The quality of studies was assessed based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool.

RESULTS

Seven studies were included. Six themes encompassing women's perspectives on SUI emerged: experiencing SUI, awareness of SUI, treatments for SUI, sexuality, communication, and psychosocial effects. The quality appraisal of the studies showed good coherence.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed six overarching themes, of which treatment had the highest prevalence. Assessment of women's perceptions of SUI in the context of a qualitative meta-synthesis may inform policy and practice around this condition, may guide and help set research priorities, and will ideally contribute to the development of a Core Outcome Set for SUI.