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The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinic in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study

Received: 16 June 2021    Accepted: 28 June 2021    Published: 2 July 2021
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Abstract

Background: The coronavirus pandemic had a major impact on health care service delivery globally. Work force in the health care sector and resources were focused on the critically ill from Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) following the huge number of patients contracting this rapidly spreading virus. All medical specialties not directly involved in treatment of COVID-19 witnessed interruption in services, urologic care was not spared. Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of coronavirus Disease -19 (COVID-19) on patients visiting urology outpatient clinic at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Methods: It was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted to assess impact of COVID-19 on patients visiting outpatient urology clinic. All consecutive patients aged 18 years and above who consented were recruited. Continuous data like age were presented in mean and standard deviation, while categorical data were presented in percentages. Association between dependent and independent variables were determined using Pearson chi square or fisher’s exact where appropriate while predictors of impact were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. P-value set as ˂0.05. Results: A total of 154 respondents participated. Mean age was 61.9 years. Males constitute 90.3% of respondent. Only 6% of participants felt negative impact of COVID-19 on urology care. Age of respondent was the only determinant of impact of COVID-19 (p-value=0.014). There were no predictors of impact amongst socio demographic characteristics in a multivariate logistic regression. In the study 48.1%, 16.2% and 12.3% of participants suggested the use of phone calls, home visits and telemedicine as means of consultation to improve outpatient urology care and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on outpatients urology care was minimal at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Age was a determinant of impact. Improvement in access to telemedicine and phone calls were suggested as measures to further improve urology care while efforts are put in place to prevent spread of disease and achieve cure during the pandemic.

Published in Central African Journal of Public Health (Volume 7, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15
Page(s) 182-188
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

COVID-19, Impact, ISTH, Outpatient, Urology

References
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[17] The Global Fund. Global Fund Survey: Major of HIV, TB and Malaria Programs Face Disruptions as a result of COVID-19; 2020 Available from: https://www. Theglobal fund.org/en/covid-19/news/2020-06-17-global-fund-survey-majority-of-hiv-tb-and-malaria-programs-face-May07.
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  • APA Style

    Ehiremhen Ozah, Eshiobo Irekpita. (2021). The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinic in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study. Central African Journal of Public Health, 7(4), 182-188. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15

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    ACS Style

    Ehiremhen Ozah; Eshiobo Irekpita. The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinic in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study. Cent. Afr. J. Public Health 2021, 7(4), 182-188. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15

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    AMA Style

    Ehiremhen Ozah, Eshiobo Irekpita. The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinic in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study. Cent Afr J Public Health. 2021;7(4):182-188. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15,
      author = {Ehiremhen Ozah and Eshiobo Irekpita},
      title = {The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinic in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study},
      journal = {Central African Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {7},
      number = {4},
      pages = {182-188},
      doi = {10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cajph.20210704.15},
      abstract = {Background: The coronavirus pandemic had a major impact on health care service delivery globally. Work force in the health care sector and resources were focused on the critically ill from Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) following the huge number of patients contracting this rapidly spreading virus. All medical specialties not directly involved in treatment of COVID-19 witnessed interruption in services, urologic care was not spared. Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of coronavirus Disease -19 (COVID-19) on patients visiting urology outpatient clinic at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Methods: It was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted to assess impact of COVID-19 on patients visiting outpatient urology clinic. All consecutive patients aged 18 years and above who consented were recruited. Continuous data like age were presented in mean and standard deviation, while categorical data were presented in percentages. Association between dependent and independent variables were determined using Pearson chi square or fisher’s exact where appropriate while predictors of impact were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. P-value set as ˂0.05. Results: A total of 154 respondents participated. Mean age was 61.9 years. Males constitute 90.3% of respondent. Only 6% of participants felt negative impact of COVID-19 on urology care. Age of respondent was the only determinant of impact of COVID-19 (p-value=0.014). There were no predictors of impact amongst socio demographic characteristics in a multivariate logistic regression. In the study 48.1%, 16.2% and 12.3% of participants suggested the use of phone calls, home visits and telemedicine as means of consultation to improve outpatient urology care and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on outpatients urology care was minimal at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Age was a determinant of impact. Improvement in access to telemedicine and phone calls were suggested as measures to further improve urology care while efforts are put in place to prevent spread of disease and achieve cure during the pandemic.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinic in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study
    AU  - Ehiremhen Ozah
    AU  - Eshiobo Irekpita
    Y1  - 2021/07/02
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15
    T2  - Central African Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Central African Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Central African Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 182
    EP  - 188
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5781
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cajph.20210704.15
    AB  - Background: The coronavirus pandemic had a major impact on health care service delivery globally. Work force in the health care sector and resources were focused on the critically ill from Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) following the huge number of patients contracting this rapidly spreading virus. All medical specialties not directly involved in treatment of COVID-19 witnessed interruption in services, urologic care was not spared. Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of coronavirus Disease -19 (COVID-19) on patients visiting urology outpatient clinic at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Methods: It was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted to assess impact of COVID-19 on patients visiting outpatient urology clinic. All consecutive patients aged 18 years and above who consented were recruited. Continuous data like age were presented in mean and standard deviation, while categorical data were presented in percentages. Association between dependent and independent variables were determined using Pearson chi square or fisher’s exact where appropriate while predictors of impact were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. P-value set as ˂0.05. Results: A total of 154 respondents participated. Mean age was 61.9 years. Males constitute 90.3% of respondent. Only 6% of participants felt negative impact of COVID-19 on urology care. Age of respondent was the only determinant of impact of COVID-19 (p-value=0.014). There were no predictors of impact amongst socio demographic characteristics in a multivariate logistic regression. In the study 48.1%, 16.2% and 12.3% of participants suggested the use of phone calls, home visits and telemedicine as means of consultation to improve outpatient urology care and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on outpatients urology care was minimal at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Age was a determinant of impact. Improvement in access to telemedicine and phone calls were suggested as measures to further improve urology care while efforts are put in place to prevent spread of disease and achieve cure during the pandemic.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Urology Unit, Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria

  • Department of Surgery, Urology division, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria

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