An aging US population brings unique challenges to urologists and the urology workforce in general. As the average age of the population increases, this means that the frequency of urologic diseases and need for urology-related treatments also increases, and it is having an effect on the industry in general as demand increases. These demographic changes in the United States are in turn changing the demands on the urology workforce, creating a need by professionals to have the latest data, research, education, and advocacy for a changing industry.

With the findings published in the American Urology Association’s 2020 census, along with comparisons with their previous publications, we can form a clear picture of what the urology workforce and industry has been through in the past, what it is currently dealing with as of the 2020 publication, and we can also infer educated predictions about the future to anticipate what urologists and urology professionals will need to prepare for in order to meet the growing demand for urology care.

Here is a summary of some of the key findings of the AUA’s 2020 census:

Urinary incontinence can provide health care professionals with a challenge that may seem like it requires surgery when there are in fact a range of nonsurgical and even non-pharmacological options that can be employed first. To experienced urologists, this will be apparent, however other healthcare professionals who do not have a full working knowledge of urodynamic testing along with urinary incontinence treatment options may choose surgery or medication when there are many steps that can be taken and explored before resorting to more invasive options.

An Overview of Urinary Incontinence

For any USA-based medical practice, there is a wide range of benefits that comes with outsourcing. As the healthcare industry becomes more competitive, outsourcing non-core services can help practices improve patient experiences and outcomes while also helping to create additional revenue without the need for training their own staff or investing in expensive equipment and facilities, all of which is handled by the specialized healthcare professional who is outsourced to.

On January 20th of this year, Joe Biden was sworn in as the United States of America’s 46th president. Like any new leader of a country, this change in the White House meant many different things for various people, businesses, and entire industries.

 

The new administration is a tremendous shift from the previous one, changing the nation’s landscape across the board.

 

No more are these changes evident than in healthcare. Biden and his administration’s approach - even at first glance - is a totally different beast than former President Trump’s. With that said, how will this impact private practices across the US?

 

This blog will explore the above question and then delve into urology practices, specifically.

As with many aspects of medical practice, a solid training foundation is critical to best practices and the safe delivery of care. When it comes to performing urodynamics (UDS), as with many other procedures, the question of what level of training is requisite to perform UDS appropriately is a reasonable one. And the natural extension of this is whether or not a specific certification process is warranted to perform UDS.

In any urology practice, critical questions related to what services to offer, who will provide them and where the services will be performed are the foundation of practice management. When establishing or managing a practice, one decision you must make is whether urodynamics (UDS) is a foundational and core offering the practice will offer or an ancillary service. As with many things in urology, the answer is not straightforward and in reality, it is a little bit of both, though I tend to think of UDS as an ancillary service for most practices.

Core services urologists must offer include basic history and examination ability, cystoscopy and access to and interpretation of relevant lab and/or radiologic studies of the urinary tract. A urologist who cannot offer these basic services is really not practicing urology. UDS is an important test that urologists offer; however, a urology practice can exist without offering UDS and still thrive.

 

Patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) are at high risk of having poor bladder compliance, making upper urinary tract injury a distinct possibility. Given the wide variety of causes of NLUTD and the risk of upper tract damage, it is critical to perform surveillance of these patients for deterioration in bladder function and upper tract injury. Two of the most popular methods of surveillance for these issues are annual renal ultrasound and annual urodynamics (UDS) testing.

Strategic Partnering.

Is your OBGYN practice a failing business? BHN (Brighter Health Network) would like to know. So should you.You’re busy. Your parking lot has a brisk turnover and your lunches are hurried. CME costs much more than tuition when you add up the money lost while out of your office. You have good months most of the time, but you also have your “marginal” months. All the more confusing is that today’s shortfall is based on what you did six weeks ago, while the piper who demands payment demands it today.

Most of the urodynamic literature is currently focused on the indications for urodynamic studies for treatment of voiding dysfunction and urinary incontinence. In reality, much less is known about the frequency with which urodynamic procedures are being performed and trends in the practice among urologists. In the following article, we will talk about trends in the practice of urodynamic procedures among urologists in the last decade and we will try to find what factors impacting growth. We compared relevant studies and put together the information to assess the utilization of urodynamic  procedures.

Did you know that 72% of ALL U.S. Internet users have gone online in the past year specifically for health-related information.  Additionally,  77% of that group (i.e. 77% of the 72%) say their research started at Google, Bing or another general search engine - not web portals like WebMD or HealthGrades.  What are you doing to drive your business's growth online?

Small business owners know the value of marketing, so why don’t more doctors and urologists perfect this art? In short, there simply isn’t enough time in the day for most urologists to engage in effective marketing. Here, five marketing hacks for urology practices will be discussed, which can change the flow of your business and help you with marketing.