Pediatric Urology Surgery with Compassion

A holistic approach to healthcare delivery

Innovations in Urology | October 2024

The idea of building intentional compassion into healthcare delivery is gaining momentum at a time when research indicates health systems are in a “compassion crisis” that is having a negative impact on both providers and patients.

Pedro-Jose Lopez, MD

Juan Manuel Moldes, MD

Studies in the U.S. and other countries indicate that patients and physicians believe compassion is so important that it can have life and death implications.

Pedro-Jose Lopez, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Urology at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, and Juan Manuel Moldes, MD, a pediatric urologist at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, are on a mission to make UH a leader in compassionate care, starting with the Pediatric Urologic Surgery division. Both physicians arrived at UH after serving as division chiefs at large hospital systems in South America (Chile and Argentina, respectively), where their cultures’ approach to human relations is more relaxed and open.

“This is how we were raised,” Dr. Lopez says. “When we meet people for the first time, we say, ‘Hi’ with a kiss on the cheek. We are more touching, feeling people.”

Dr. Moldes adds, “When UH recruited us, they were looking for more than just highly skilled surgeons. They were expecting us to bring this perspective to UH. Under its forward-thinking leadership, UH was ready for a bold new approach and encouraged us to use our experience and cultural background to develop a compassionate care program under one of UH’s mottos, which is compassion.”

Drs. Moldes and Lopez describe compassionate care as providing their expertise as surgeons with a large dose of humanity.

“Compassion is about caring for our patients and their families with a broad and empathetic awareness and about understanding that surgery is a moment of great vulnerability and fear for patients,” Dr. Moldes says. “We are committed to giving our full attention, experience and compassionate presence to reduce the suffering, stress and anxiety associated with surgery. We believe that this way of practicing not only enhances the patient experience but also contributes to better surgical outcomes and recovery.”

Compassionomics

Compassion in healthcare is fast becoming an important field of scientific study with its own name: Compassionomics. Regardless of the quality of medical care delivered, the benefits — or absence of — compassionate care have been documented. Further evidence-based research is under way.

Data collected thus far indicate that the human connection that occurs when delivering compassionate healthcare improves metrics, including patient outcomes and adherence. It also is shown to improve healthcare quality and safety, while reducing costs, the performance of unnecessary procedures and provider burnout.

Drs. Lopez (left) & Moldes get to know their new UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital campus.

Although medical school programs generally emphasize efficiency and outcomes, not the human aspect of patient care, empathy and compassion can be learned and developed with training and practice and integrated into an efficient, high-quality healthcare system. To this end, the pediatric surgery compassion program includes training and mentoring younger physicians and residents.

Right Place and Time

Drs. Lopez and Moldes believe that focusing on all touchpoints — such as making parking convenient and delivering difficult news in a compassionate and empathetic manner — improves the patient experience and sets UH apart.

“When we arrived at UH, we found this environment where people were willing and open to trying new things and experiences, and it offered us a big space to develop these concepts,” Dr. Lopez says. “It’s the right moment, the right time at UH Rainbow Babies to develop this together. We have the resources, the ideas, the energy.

“Larger institutions in Ohio also have competent surgeons, along with more resources and staff. However, we believe our focus on providing a better patient experience — improving details of care in concrete ways and improving how patients feel when they are with us — is a main distinguishing feature at UH and, at the end of the day, will set us apart. People here are looking for this. They like it. It’s my feeling that it’s going to spread quickly beyond our unit.”

Building the Pediatric Urology Unit

At the same time he’s co-leading the charge to incorporate compassion in the surgery unit, Dr. Lopez is also the new head of Pediatric Urology. He’s planning to expand the surgery team and increase UH’s presence in the academic and clinical realms.

“We’ve just selected a research fellow and a clinical fellow,” he says, “and our unit has been applying for grants and submitting papers and abstracts for the most important scientific meetings this year. We’re also organizing training opportunities, including a surgical course for residents that we’ll conduct in August.”

For more information about pediatric urology and surgery with compassion, contact pedsurologyteam@uhhospitals.org.

Contributing Experts:
Pedro-Jose Lopez, MD
Division Chief, Pediatric Urology
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

Juan Manuel Moldes, MD
Pediatric Urologist
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital