AUA2021 Day 2 eNews - 091121

SATURDAY • SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 • AUA2021 DAILY NEWS 13 210746_AUA_Daily_News_Qrtr_Page_MIP_v02.indd 1 9/2/21 3:09 PM PRODUCT SHOWCASE Do you have any tips or tricks for getting positive engagement? Dr. Loeb: Avoiding excessive hashtags and using images in the post are associated with better engagement. Engaging with others is also extremely important. Social media is meant to be interactive, rather than a one- way stream. Do you have any suggestions for someone who is getting started with a social media presence? Dr. Loeb: For urologists and other health care providers who are looking to get started with social media, I recommend reviewing the professional guidelines on social media use. For example, the American Urological Association, European Association of Urology and BJU International have published guidance on social media use. These include important principles such as respecting patient confidentiality. It is also helpful to spend some time watching how others use the platform effectively. Search #AUA21 to stay connected at the Annual Meeting. P rior to the AUA Annual Meeting, Stacy Loeb, MD, PhD, MSC, professor of urology and population health at New York University, sat down with the editors of the AUA Daily News to discuss the challenges of social media. Here, she offers tips for optimizing social media platforms to achieve the right kind of results. She spoke to the Society of Academic Urologists about the use of social media for scholarship on Thursday. What makes sexual medicine different from other specialties when it comes to social media? Dr. Loeb: There is a large volume of information about sexual medicine on social media. Unfortunately, studies have shown that a significant amount of widely viewed content about topics such as erectile dysfunction and male hypogonadism are of poor quality. Therefore, I believe it is very important for sexual medicine experts to actively engage in social media and to help disseminate evidence-based information to the public. How do you personally use social media to reach your intended audience? Dr. Loeb: I use social media extensively to stay up to date with the latest published research in the field and to network with colleagues. I also use social media to share our research with a broader audience and to meet other stakeholders with similar interests. Important ways to reach a target audience are through the targeted use of hashtags related to the topic and by engaging in social media during conferences and other temporal events. Q A Social Media: Sending the Right Message & : Stacy Loeb, MD, PhD, MSC It shouldn’t come as a shock that social media can play a pivotal role in your career—whether you choose to use it professionally or not. Discussing sexual medicine in such a public forum presents a completely different minefield than most other specialties must navigate. The tricky subject matter requires careful consideration, but it’s still possible to use social media as a tool to extend the impact of your work. Q Q Q Q optimize outcomes. The case-based format offered real-world scenarios with female and male patients with refractory OAB, dual incontinence and neurogenic bladder, with technical instruction. Offering third-line therapies involves shared decision making. “Introduce the concept of third-line therapies early so patients don’t get discouraged if their initial therapies don’t work,” Dr. Kobashi said. Asking patients: “Do you want to consider additional therapies later?” is a fair question that can establish the framework of their therapy options. As patients become candidates for third-line therapies, use friendly language so patients don’t get intimidated by the therapy. Dr. Kobashi, for example, describes SNS to her patients as “an Oreo-sized cookie battery” and a “pacemaker for the bladder.” Presenters discussed the technical aspects of PTNS, a minimally invasive technique originating from traditional Chinese medicine, which is akin to acupuncture over the posterior tibial nerve. The low-voltage technique involves 34-gauge needles placed in the area of the post tibial nerve once a week for 30 minutes for 12 weeks, then monthly. Although the treatment isn’t invasive, some data suggest better efficacy when combined with medications. Consider travel time when counseling patients about this treatment option. “PTNS may not be practical for patients who live far away,” Dr. Kobashi said. Patients may need to undergo the therapy for six to eight weeks before experiencing results. Success rates hover in the 40 to 70 percent range. For patients with dual incontinence who have failed first- and second-line OAB therapies, SNS or PTNS is the best option. For SNS, presenters also discussed optimal lead placement with the goal of achieving bellows with great toe plantarflexion. The session concluded with a discussion of optimal patients for OnabotulinumtoxinA: those with OAB/ urge urinary incontinence, urodynamic detrusor overactivity, who are able and willing to do clean intermittent catheterization, or neurogenic patients, with advice on the best types of cystoscopes, needles and injection templates for OnabotulinumtoxinA administration. “In our office, we just have flexible scopes. I use them for everybody,” Dr. Ginsberg said. Overall, “successful third-line options exist for treating refractory OAB,” Dr. Kobashi said. “You just have to know the tricks. I encourage any of you who haven’t undertaken any of these third-line therapies to lean on us. We’ll help you get through the learning curve because these treatments can really make a difference for patients.” TIPS AND TRICKS continued from page 1