EAU 2012 – An interview with Mr Syed Jaffry – Consultant Urologist

26 Feb 2012 – EAU Paris, France – What have been some of the EAU highlights to date? And what are some Key messages to share with Irish Healthcare Professionals in the area of Urology?Mr Jaffry (pictured) commented that the EAU “is the most popular Urology conference in the world”. He continued to state that the popularity and the major benefit of the conference is for healthcare professionals in multidisciplines and from multicultural healthcare backgrounds to come together to share ideas, medical data and clinical information in the area of Urology. He also agrees that this conference is a great networking opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the world. “The EAU provides many meetings and platforms for integration of ideas and collaborative approaches to learning and education. The EAU provides a very good scientific community of speakers who are experts in their field.”The quality of the conference has grown through the years and this is verified by Mr Jaffry’s comment that “so much has changed regarding the communication of scientific information. Now that research is published in English, it has increased the ability and the standard in sharing critical research information worldwide. The highlights have been extraordinary at this conference.”“This conference provides a platform for increased knowledge and the ability for Irish healthcare professionals to bring this information back to their practices and share the relevant content with their colleagues to improve healthcare overall in Urology.”Mr Jaffry’s philosophy of applying the knowledge learned from the EAU and integrating it into his practice in Ireland is a good example of the benefits of the EAU educational sessions. In 2005 he got the idea of laser vaporization of the prostate from such a meeting, which he studied in depth and got training  and was the first Consultant in Ireland to offer this procedure

 

What is the best way to foster a multidisciplinary approach between Consultants, GPs and nurses in Ireland in the treatment of BPH?

Mr Jaffry suggests that a panel of Consultants who have interest and experience with BPH share the bulk of their knowledge with the primary care teams. He stated that currently Consultants are absorbed in many different aspects of Urology, so for this panel to be effective, it would be essential to have a Consultant with a vast knowledge of BPH to share their knowledge and experience. The purpose and goal of the panel would be to provide educational and communication materials for PHC teams on the topic of BPH, as well as to set up a series of procedures and protocols for the diagnosis, treatment and management of BPH in Ireland.

 

Do you think the PHC teams have an understanding of BPH?

I think the panel that I mentioned previously would help the PHC teams to develop protocols for BPH. The PHC teams need to increase their knowledge in BPH. Sometimes certain urology issues are lumped in together as opposed to being looked at specifically as BPH. An increase in educational materials in the area of BPH diagnosis and treatment options would provide the PHC teams with valuable resources and the ability to help patients within the community.

If the goal is to put BPH treatment back in the PHC community, what would be the role of GPs and Nurses in BPH care?

There are capable of handling BPH issues, but they need to be taught about how to do a BPH diagnosis so they can put together a preliminary treatment strategy.

–          PSA check, flow rates -> once these diagnostic tests are completed then the PHC team can treat the patients very effectively.

–          They need a greater understanding of the diagnosis of the patient, but then they can properly treat the patient and work out their treatment strategy.

As a hospital clinician, what percentage of GP referrals do you see that could be appropriately dealt with in the community?

“50% or more of the referrals” could be handled at the Primary Care community level.

 

What are the needs and benefits on a proactive approach to the management of BPH in Primary Care?

Once the panel of Consultants that have expertise with BPH is established, then they can create a consensus where secondary care and primary care teams agree procedures and protocols. Ideally it would be good to have this on a national level, but even without national guidelines, Mr Jaffry agrees that there could be standards of excellence per region for the treatment and diagnosis pathways for patients at a primary care level.

Education and communication seem to be the main ingredients for successful and early treatment of BPH. Improving quality of life for the patient is of primary concern for the health professional teams involved.  “There are things that can be done to help patient’s quality of life in this area, so men needn’t fear getting checked out and being commenced on a regime to improve their health and quality of life for themselves and their partners.”

Getting the message out there is now the important task. It must be a two tiered approach. The general media need to cover issues relating to male health, especially an increased awareness about BPH and the symptoms. Men need to be more willing and open to going to their GP and discussing issues about how they are feeling or issues that are bothering them. On the other side, it is crucial that the GPs and Nurses have an increased understanding and awareness of BPH and the symptoms so that they can be more proactive in asking the right questions to get the men talking. It is through this combined communication that many men will be treated for BPH and enjoy the simple pleasures of life once again.