key: cord-0749813-d2gg63xe
authors: Pang, Karl H.; Carrion, Diego M.; Rivas, Juan Gomez; Mantica, Guglielmo; Mattigk, Angelika; Pradere, Benjamin; Esperto, Francesco
title: The Impact of COVID-19 on European Health Care and Urology Trainees
date: 2020-04-27
journal: Eur Urol
DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2020.04.042
sha: 1f2e551776d66955e357a49c363b2bafbbfdc5cd
doc_id: 749813
cord_uid: d2gg63xe

The COVID-19 pandemic has had rapid and inevitable effects on health care systems and the training and work plans of urology residents. Smart learning is a valuable strategy for maintaining the learning curve of residents.

In all five countries, major elective surgeries have been cancelled in an attempt to minimise spread and free up nursing staff, anaesthetists, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and beds. The Italian Society of Urology (SIU) [2] , Spanish Urological Association (AEU),

Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) have produced guidelines on performing selective diagnostic and surgical procedures. Recommendations from a panel of experts from the USA and Europe have also been produced [3] . Face-to-face consultations have been cancelled, with the majority of hospitals undertaking telephone consultations and virtual clinics. In Madrid, patients with planned oncological surgeries are being referred to some private clinics considered "clean" of COVID-19, covered by the national health system.

Training has been greatly affected by the loss of surgical exposure and logbook development. (Table 1) . With the new era of technology and smart learning, the effects on resident training can hopefully be kept to a minimum.

The authors have nothing to disclose.

World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

Urology practice during COVID-19 pandemic

press

Considerations in the triage of urologic surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Resident burnout in USA and European

Educational