Impact and Burden of Postponing Elective Surgeries

Recruiting

• Conditions: Complication; Mental Impairment
• Interventions: Other: questionnaire

• Registration Number: NCT06067373
• Lead Sponsor: Medical University of Graz

Brief Summary

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

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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-08-01
• Study First Submitted: 2023-08-28
• Status Verified: 2023-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-09-28
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-09-28
• Study First Posted: 2023-10-04
• Last Update Posted: 2023-10-04
• Primary Completion: 2024-08-31
• Study Completion: 2024-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
patients with postponed surgery	questionnaire	patients with postponed surgery

Primary Outcome Measures

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

Secondary Outcome Measures

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

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Urology, Medical University Graz; 🇦🇹 Graz, Austria