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Sustainable healthcare: what steps can urologists take?

Human health is intrinsically linked to environmental health, making the ever-pressing climate crisis fundamentally a public health emergency. The healthcare sector is responsible for 8% of the UK’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide [1]. As the largest publicly funded healthcare...

Medical statistics for urologists: part 2 – probability and hypothesis testing

Following on from Part 1 of this series (Part 3 available here), this article aims to build on other analytical techniques commonly used within medical research, focusing on simple examples. Probability and testing Before exploring hypothesis testing, it is vital...

New techniques in UTI diagnosis

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common reason for seeking medical care in both primary and secondary settings. Half of women will have at least one episode of cystitis in their lifetime, and a third of them will have experienced...

A time management guide for urologists

Good time management is thought to not only reduce stress, but to improve personal efficiency, service delivery, clinical effectiveness and patient care. It was Benjamin Franklin in the 18th Century who originally made the link between success and the proper...

An update on erectile dysfunction guidelines and treatment options

Erectile dysfunction is defined as the persistent inability to attain and / or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual performance. Not only does this have a psychosocial impact, it also affects the quality of life of both the patients and...

How do we tackle social injustice in urological cancer?

Socioeconomic status as an established determinant of health and associated injustices is well recognised. Confronting these injustices and creating a fairer healthcare system is an ongoing challenge for many governments. In Scotland, the devolved government has created the Scottish Index...

Can the latest patient decision aid help OAB patients?

OAB Answers is a patient decision aid co-authored by several European urologists and gynaecologists, and two patient advocates, to help patients understand and manage their overactive bladder (OAB). It is a 36-page document split into several clear sections, aiming to...

The COVID-19 ‘frontlines’: a foundation doctor’s perspective

Staring through the fragmented stained glass of the Virgin Mary and her assorted angels, I reflected on the strangeness of the workplace I now found myself in and the irony of a workforce now working together more enthusiastically than ever...

All you need to know about percutaneous nephrolithotomy: supine versus prone and mini versus traditional

Introduction Since the first percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), the technique has undergone many innovations, including modifications in positioning, miniaturisation of instruments and combination with retrograde intra-renal surgery (see Table 1 for an outline of the history of the technique). Controversy has...

Urinary incontinence in women – part 1: terminology and diagnosis

Introduction Urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntary and often embarrassing leakage of urine. It is a condition that is both under-reported and under-diagnosed, and when reported it is, unfortunately, often not assessed and managed adequately. Incontinence of urine is encountered...