1. Impact of COVID-19 on clinical practice, income, health and lifestyle behavior of Brazilian urologists.
- Author
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Gomes CM, Favorito LA, Henriques JVT, Canalini AF, Anzolch KMJ, de Carvalho Fernandes R, Bellucci CHS, Silva CS, Wroclawski ML, Pompeo ACL, and de Bessa J Jr
- Subjects
- Brazil, COVID-19, Humans, Practice Patterns, Physicians' trends, Quality of Life, SARS-CoV-2, Surveys and Questionnaires, Telemedicine, Urologic Diseases complications, Urologic Diseases epidemiology, Urologists statistics & numerical data, Betacoronavirus, Coronavirus Infections, Life Style, Pandemics, Pneumonia, Viral complications, Pneumonia, Viral epidemiology, Practice Patterns, Physicians' statistics & numerical data, Urologic Diseases therapy, Urologic Surgical Procedures statistics & numerical data, Urologists psychology, Urology statistics & numerical data, Workload
- Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on clinical practice, income, health and lifestyle behavior of Brazilian urologists during the month of April 2020., Materials and Methods: A 39-question, web-based survey was sent to all urologist members of the Brazilian Society of Urology. We assessed socio-demographic, professional, health and behavior parameters. The primary goal was to evaluate changes in urologists' clinical practice and income after two months of COVID-19. We also looked at geographical differences based on the incidence rates of COVID-19 in different states., Results: Among 766 urologists who completed the survey, a reduction ≥ 50% of patient visits, elective and emergency surgeries was reported by 83.2%, 89.6% and 54.8%, respectively. An income reduction of ≥ 50% was reported by 54.3%. Measures to reduce costs were implemented by most. Video consultations were performed by 38.7%. Modifications in health and lifestyle included weight gain (32.9%), reduced physical activity (60.0%), increased alcoholic intake (39.9%) and reduced sexual activity (34.9%). Finally, 13.5% of Brazilian urologists were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and about one third required hospitalization. Urologists from the highest COVID-19 incidence states were at a higher risk to have a reduction of patient visits and non-essential surgeries (OR=2.95, 95% CI 1.86 - 4.75; p< 0.0001) and of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 (OR=4.36 95%CI 1.74-10.54, p=0.012)., Conclusions: COVID-19 produced massive disturbances in Brazilian urologists' practice, with major reductions in patient visits and surgical procedures. Distressing consequences were also observed on physicians' income, health and personal lives. These findings are probably applicable to other medical specialties., Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.)
- Published
- 2020
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