World’s largest kidney stone patient experience survey finds 60% of respondents experienced first kidney stone before the age of 45

Singapore, Feb. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

• Dornier MedTech publishes new insights on World Kidney Stone Day from its digital urology community which garners 45 million patient and caregiver visits annually
• Millennials are getting kidney stones, with 60% of patients developing their first stone under the age of 45
• 75% of kidney stone patients would avoid treatments that require stents
• Ureteroscopy (URS) and shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) received the highest treatment satisfaction scores of nearly 70%

Dornier MedTech (Dornier) is marking World Kidney Stone Day today with the launch of the 2022 Global Urology Survey report – the world’s largest survey of kidney stone patient experience. The findings were based on the collective responses of more than 1,000 patients from Dornier’s digital urology community, which garners 45 million patient and caregiver visits annually.

Kidney stones are a painful medical condition where hard deposits made of salts and minerals form in a patient’s kidneys. It affects 1 in 10 people in the United States¹, and more than 50% of these patients will experience repeat stone incidents in their lifetime², a number that is on the rise³.

The survey was initiated to understand the latest trends in patient behaviors, and to identify opportunities for urologists and medical professionals to achieve better patient and treatment outcomes.

Millennials are getting kidney stones
60% of kidney stone patients responding to the survey indicated that they experienced their first stone before the age of 45, indicating that the millennial age group is moving into its stone-forming years.

1 in 3 patients surveyed believe that stents are more painful than stones
For kidney stone patients, the need for stents is one of their biggest considerations when choosing treatment options. More than 65% of the patients surveyed identified stent-related pain and discomfort as the worst part of having stents. 

Patient education is key to minimizing recurrence of kidney stones
In order to take steps to prevent recurrence, patients need to understand their stone types and causes. However, the survey found that 1 in 4 patients have little to no awareness of the foods that they should consume or avoid. In addition, patients expressed a strong desire for personalized dietary recommendations, highlighting the importance of holistic and personalized stone management strategies for each patient.

Positive treatment experiences encourage care continuity
Urologists are a key touchpoint in a kidney stone patient’s journey, especially for recurrent stone formers who require regular consultations and treatments. A consistently positive treatment experience has been proven to influence a patient’s decision to continue their care journey with the same urologist or seek other opinions.

According to the patients surveyed, skills, responsiveness and good bedside manners are the top three most important attributes sought in a urologist; outranking traits such as empathy and attention to detail. Urologists with these qualities are more likely to encourage continuity of care, and thus contribute to better patient outcomes.

Abel Ang, Group Chief Executive of Advanced MedTech, said, “Getting a kidney stone is often described as one of the most painful conditions a patient can experience. Our goal with the survey is to more deeply understand what stone patients are going through, so that stakeholders can collaborate to offer better treatment solutions, higher quality care, and to achieve improved outcomes for stone patients globally.”

View the 2022 Global Urology Survey in full here

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About Dornier MedTech

Dornier MedTech is a medical device company headquartered in Munich, Germany, and is a full subsidiary of Advanced MedTech. As a pioneer in the field of urology, Dornier is one of the most trusted names in the industry. Dornier continues to spearhead innovation in urology, launching more than 25 urology device innovations in the last 5 years. It is pushing the envelope in digital urology to provide holistic care to patients who are seeking treatment and community as they work through their conditions online and in real life.

For more information, visit www.dornier.com.
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