Impact and Burden of Postponing Elective Surgeries

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Overall, little is known about the effects and burdens of postponed operations in patients with urological diseases. To investigate the consequences and develop possible strategies for overcoming these challenges, the investigators would like to evaluate the influence of operation shifts in more detail.

Detailed Description
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Medical care in Austria is struggling with staff shortages and consecutive OR (operating room) closures. The current development seems to be the result of problems that have been postponed for a long time to be accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The introduction of COVID-19 vaccination and the establishment of protective measures and handling standards with infected patients made it possible to return to the regular operation. However, there is currently no noticeable improvement in the overall situation. The increasing shortage of nursing care in Austria is an increasingly urgent reason for this that affects all hospitals and care facilities. By prioritizing oncological interventions and an oncology first strategy at least oncological interventions and emergency interventions are performed on time. However, just looking at the waiting times for oncological interventions does not provide sufficient information of the current overall situation. The impairment for Patients with non-oncological diseases have received little attention so far given. Postponing elective surgery in patients with functional urological diseases (e.g. benign prostatic hyperplasia) can have a long-term impact on patient health and also means shifting their Surgery Burden and the stress for the patient. An American Study observed a decrease in prostate cancer diagnoses and an increase in diagnostic delays and postponements of treatments due to the pandemic, which led to greater stress and uncertainty in the affected patients. The primary goal of this study is to record the burden on patients caused by the postponement of their surgery (mentally, physically). Secondary outcomes include complication rates from postponement of surgery, effects on employment, awareness of the current situation (lack of care), state of health of patients upon admission to elective surgery.

Official Title
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Impact and Burden of Postponing Elective Surgeries in Patients With Urological Diseases

Conditions
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Mental Impairment, Complication

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: questionnaire


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: - All patients over the age of 18 attending the Department of Urology for an elective surgery Exclusion Criteria: lack of ability to give consent emergency operations

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| patients with postponed surgery<br>patients with postponed surgery | Other: questionnaire<br>* After agreeing to participate, the patients receive a questionnaire in paper form. This consists of a total of 12 higher-level self-compiled questions as well validated survey instruments. The free questions relate, among other things, to to the surgery postponement, the associated burden, complications occurred, Effects on the employment situation, as well as the current state. The following validated survey instruments are used in the questionnaire: the NCCN Distress Thermometer to record the mental stress, a Severity Symptom Scale to record the symptom burden and the PROMIS-10 for recording the health-related life quality.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| physical burden caused by postponement of elective surgery | to evaluate the physical burden (e.g., scale 1-5 on severity of disease burden) caused by postponement of elective surgery | depending on the interval of the postponed surgery; through study completion, an average of 1 year | 
| mental burden caused by postponement of elective surgery | to evaluate the mental burden (e.g., scale: NCCN-Distress thermometer, scale 1-10) caused by postponement of elective surgery | depending on the interval of the postponed surgery; through study completion, an average of 1 year | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| complication rates | to evaluate the frequency complications (e.g., questions on urinary retention, comparison to patient records) caused by postponement of elective surgery | depending on the interval of the postponed surgery; through study completion, an average of 1 year | 
| effect on employment | to evaluate the effect on employment (e.g., questions about incapability to work, days of work leave, risk of getting unemployed) caused by postponement of elective surgery | depending on the interval of the postponed surgery; through study completion, an average of 1 year | 
| awareness of the current situation | to evaluate the awareness of the current situation (e.g, knowledge about the current situation of lack of personnel and resources) | depending on the interval of the postponed surgery; through study completion, an average of 1 year | 
| general health status | to evaluate global health status via PROMIS-10 questionnaire | depending on the interval of the postponed surgery; through study completion, an average of 1 year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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postponed surgery