The Effect of the COVID-19 on Patient Preferences and Decision Making for Obstructive Urinary Stone Interventions

Ankara Training and Research Hospital

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Urinary Stone; Urinary Calculi; Covid19

Treatments: Behavioral: COVID-19 Pandemic

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04924790

COVIDUS2021

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study, the investigators aim to evaluate the intervention preferences of patients with obstructive urinary stones who are suitable for operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary aim is to compare and evaluate the preferences compared to the pre-pandemic period and to gain a perspective on how the decision-making process has changed from the patient's point of view. Thus, by trying to understand how the COVID-19 epidemic affects the treatment choice decisions of patients, the investigators aim to determine how the state of anxiety changes these preferences.

Full description

The transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare use remains an open question. At the onset of the pandemic, policies to limit transmission were adopted, including stay-at-home decisions, social distancing, and postponing elective surgery. Such policies have contributed to reduced emergency room admissions, increased concern about COVID-19, and hospital systems have had to prioritize emergency intervention.

Obstructive urolithiasis is a clinical condition that usually causes severe flank pain and causes emergency admission. It is still unclear how the epidemic impairs the treatment pathways of the obstructive urolithiasis that contributes to the emergency room visit. Treatment options range from observation and medical expulsive therapy to operative interventions such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Patient preference, stone characteristics and comorbidities are of great importance in decision making. However, since obstructive ureteral stones that cannot be resolved spontaneously can cause irreversible renal parenchymal damage and obstructive pyelonephritis in a short time, the option of operation is always prioritized.

Patient perspectives on how COVID-19 is changing healthcare use and decision-making still remain unclear. In our study, the investigators plan to record patient treatment preferences by explaining in detail how and where treatment options will be applied, success and complication rates for patients diagnosed with obstructive urolithiasis and suitable for intervention in the outpatient clinic. In addition, when evaluating patient preferences, the investigators foresee to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic process has changed compared to before. It is planned that our study will have a patient-centered approach with detailed oral and written information in outpatient clinic conditions.

Enrollment: 158 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Obstructive Urinary Stone

Exclusion criteria

• Previous operation for urinary stone
• Presence of bladder stone
• Presence of stent in the ureter
• Previous radiotherapy to the pelvic and abdominal region
• Pregnancy
• Neurological disease

Trial design

158 participants in 2 patient groups

COVID-19 Urinary Stone

Description:

Patients diagnosed with obstructive urinary stones in the COVID-19 period

Treatment:

Behavioral: COVID-19 Pandemic

PreCOVID-19 Urinary Stone

Description:

Patients diagnosed with obstructive urinary stones in the preCOVID-19 period

Treatment:

Behavioral: COVID-19 Pandemic