Urology pathways for the primary care physician
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2024.v114i4.1670Keywords:
PSA, Haematuria, Erectile Dysfunction, Incontinence, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Male Urethral Discharge, Acute Scrotal Pain, Acute Urinary RetentionAbstract
Urology provides critical medical treatment that has the potential to save lives and greatly improve quality of life. Although there is a growing need for urological care, South Africa (SA) now faces an unmet need for these services, and junior doctors have limited exposure to urology. SA has a total of 347 urologists who are actively practising and registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. This means that there is a ratio of only 0.56 urologists per 100 000 people in the population. The ratio is even more dire if we only include urologists in the public sector. This article offers pragmatic strategies for addressing common urological conditions. These guidelines adhere to international standards and can be adopted at all levels of healthcare, with the exception of a few advanced imaging needs.
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