Developing a new one-stop urology diagnostics service

A High-Efficiency Consultation Improves Urological Diagnosis in Patients with Complex LUTS-A Pilot Study

(1) Background: The diagnosis of moderate-severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is not easy due to the complexity of the micturition act. Sequential diagnostic tests can be time consuming due to waiting lists. Thus, we developed a diagnostic model combining all the tests in a single one-stop consultation. (2) Methods: In a prospective pilot study in patients with complex LUTS, they received all diagnostic tests (ultrasound, uroflowmetry, cystoscopy, pressure-flow study) in a single consultation and by the same doctor. Patients' results were compared with those from a 2021 paired cohort that underwent the classical sequential diagnostic pathway. (3) Results: Per patient, the high-efficiency consultation saved: 175 days of waiting, 60 min doctor time and 120 nursing assistant time and over 300 euros on average. The intervention also saved 120 patient journeys to the hospital, lowering the total carbon footprint by 145.86 kg CO₂. In one-third of the patients, performing all the tests within the same consultation contributed to reaching a more appropriate diagnosis and thus more effective treatment. Patients' satisfaction was high, with good tolerability. (4) Conclusions: The high-efficiency urology consultation improves waiting times, therapeutic decisions and the degree of patient satisfaction while optimizing the use of resources and generating savings for the health system.

Family experience of living with children and adolescents with bladder and bowel dysfunction

OBJECTIVE

to understand the experience of families of living with children and adolescents with bladder and bowel dysfunction.

METHODS

a qualitative phenomenological interpretive research carried out through an in-depth open interview with parents of children and adolescents linked to Advanced Practice Nursing clinic in pediatric urology.

RESULTS

the following representative categories of the families' experiences emerged: Knowledge and learning: building family knowledge; Living with the children's BBD: symbolic representations; Management and adaptation to the children's BBD: reorganizing family life.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

the experience of families related to positive and negative meanings, presence or absence of previous experiences, information gaps, learning process and access to specialized professional follow-up. Follow-up by nurses is important in pediatric urology care for the learning and consolidation of specific knowledge about bladder and bowel dysfunction.