Urology Team Approach - Cincinnati Children's

So as Doctor Reddy had already said, our team, um, is quite big. We have neonatology if your child is diagnosed in utero, and then obviously urology, um, is focused on the bladder along with the kidneys and, um, just the overall function. And then nephrology is looking at the function of the kidneys, how they're affected. Then we have developmental pediatrics as well, um, who along with you and your pediatrician at home is, um, helping us decide if there are issues and then we can engage, um, developmental pediatrics if we need further screening. And then the, with pulmonary, we're looking at lung function and sometimes later on, if there was low fluid, then there's concerns that maybe they are having, um, problems respiratory wise. So we can also engage them for any testing and screenings as needed, um. Behavioral medicine and then with growth and development also um a nutritionist, a dietitian, and then we have social work so with all of this how we make this a um virtual type clinic is you aren't necessarily gonna see all of these people when you come to Cincinnati Children's at one visit but we have different, um, by engaging in meetings. Monthly we are able to come up with different screenings, different testings, um, different questionnaires and different things that can help us, um, support you and know when and if we need to engage a certain, um, discipline. So it could be something as simple as, um, certain screenings and testings that Doctor Clay had, um, helped us kind of develop a guideline for. And then depending on that, then you may see nephrology on a regular basis or if there is a concern with, um. As child gets older, once we are dealing with all male, um, patients and let's say they're catheterizing or there's concerns there, then that might be really hard to understand why they have to do things that other kids don't and then we can um also bring in um behavioral medicine to help with the support there. So that we're able to support without necessarily having a prolonged day, but not seeing people that maybe you don't need to see at that point in your child's care. Um, Cra personalis is, um, definitely something that Doctor Reddy has, um, already spoke about, but it's very important. It's not just. Talking about the care of what medically is bringing you to see us, but also what's happening at home. Um, what does a family need to help them make sure that their child's getting everything that they need. So we are have recently engaged a quality of life survey that we are doing with our families with, um, the diagnosis of, of posterior urethral valves, and it's an annual survey. Survey that survey that is giving questions that are looking outside of just why you're seeing urology. So are there supports and things that we can do that um can help you in your everyday life? And it could be like Doctor Reddy had already, um, kind of touched on, it could be something from transportation. It could be, um. Financial, it could be just school support because sometimes that can be a big challenge as well so the survey is given and then we grade it right there and we are providing with um are there any issues that we need to address at that moment and the supports that we can help provide. Um, in different resources and then, um, the other thing that we have recently started which I was very excited about is patient and, um, family support events. So right now we've been doing them on a monthly basis and, um, they've been changed up every month. So some months they might be during the week during a clinic time for some families that can be very helpful, especially if you're coming from far away. Um, for our close to home families though, and especially school age children, it's nice to have something that's either in the evening or on the weekend. So we actually do have 1 September 20th, this Friday, um, from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then October 5th, I believe is the first Saturday. Um, that one is on a Saturday at 11 to 1 as well, so it is just an opportunity that the kids can come, siblings can come, parents, any caregivers, they can meet each other. Um, sometimes there are things that we don't know as providers and as healthcare professionals that, um, it could be how do I catheterize my child when I'm going here? How do I, what do I do when I need this, and so I think that it's very helpful in that point. Um, it also is building a community for the, um, patients, for the boys that maybe one of the concerns when you're a teenager is, I don't know anybody else who catheterizes at my school, but they. They know that if they come to an event at Children's that they have met this person and that maybe they have on their own exchanged contact information and able to um have that friendship with somebody that's like them, which is. Unfortunately, what a lot of families fear and don't have a lot of.