Telemedicine and Telehealth in Urology: Uptake, Impact and Barriers to Clinical Adoption
Nithesh Naik, Shreyas Nandyal, Sanjana Ganesh Nayak, Milap Shah, Sufyan Ibrahim, B. M. Zeeshan Hameed, Ananth Patil, Gopika Suresh, Pritam A. Shetty, Bhavan Prasad, Rajeev TP, Patrick Rice, Suraj Jayadeva Reddy, Nandakishore Bhat, Deepesh Garg, Piotr Chłosta, Bhaskar Somani
Abstract
Telemedicine has great potential in urology as a strong medium for providing patients with continuous high-quality urological care despite the hurdles involved in its implementation. Both clinicians and patients are crucial factors in determining the success of tele-consults in terms of simplicity of use and overall satisfaction. For it to be successfully incorporated into routine urological practice, rigorous training and evidence-based recommendations are lacking. If these issues are addressed, they can provide a significant impetus for future tele-consults in urology and their successful deployment, even beyond the pandemic, to assure safer and more environment-friendly patient management.