The use of a novel smartphone app for monitoring male luts treatment during the COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

We are still experiencing the consequences from the globalCOVID-19 pandemic [1]. The public health emergency hasresulted in a significant reallocation of health resources,with the consequent reorganization of all clinical activitiesin urological Departments all over the world [2].Within the first weeks of the outbreak, UrologicalDepartments progressively stopped the outpatient visitsfor benign diseases, limiting the access to the hospitalexclusively for life-threatening conditions, emergencysurgery, and oncological diseases [3]. Male LUTS due toBenign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) were considered as anon-urgent deferrable condition; therefore, outpatientvisits were postponed or canceled, even if the bothersomeurinary symptoms had remarkable impact on quality oflife and patient’s capability to comply with the limitationsimposed by the lockdown. As a result, this has led tothe development of new strategies with telemedicineto appear as a pragmatic approach to screen clinicallyrelevant cases and provide adequate treatment andfollow-up [4].