European Association of Urology Pocket Guidelines 2020

We are honoured to present the 2020 edition of the European Association of Urology (EAU) Guidelines, the most comprehensive, continuously updated, guidelines available for urologists and clinicians from related specialties. Produced by a dedicated Guidelines Office, involving approximately 250 international experts and endorsed by 72 national and professional societies around the world, the EAU Guidelines are internationally recognised as an excellent, high-quality resource for assisting clinicians in their everyday practice. For the 2020 edition of the EAU Guidelines, we are proud to present the new EAU Guidelines on Sexual and Reproductive Health which consolidates the work of the former Male Infertility, Male Sexual Dysfunction and Male Hypogonadism Panels. Additionally, numerous guideline recommendations have been updated. Going forward, the EAU Guidelines Office has a number of plans in place for the coming year, and beyond. We are delighted to announce the formation of a new EAU Guidelines Panel on Non-neurogenic Female LUTS under the leadership of Mr. C.K. Harding (Chair) and Prof.Dr. M.C. Lapitan (vice-chair). The Panel has already begun work on producing the new guideline for publication in 2021. Additionally, the ad-hoc EAU Guidelines on Urethral Strictures, Chaired by Prof.Dr. N. Lumen will also conclude their work in time for publication in 2021. A further goal for the Guidelines Office in 2020 is a commitment to increasing patient involvement in Guidelines development. Our ultimate aim is to establish an effective framework that can ensure that the voices of patients are captured in the development of future guidelines recommendations in a meaningful and non-tokenistic manner. The EAU Guidelines Office believes that meaningful patient engagement will result in recommendations that lead to better treatment compliance and improved health outcomes aiding the realisation of a truly patient-centred shared-decision making framework. This promises to be a challenging but worthwhile long-term endeavour. Adherence to clinical guidelines, both national and international, is sub-optimal throughout Europe. The key to increasing adherence to Guidelines, is to understand what are the barriers to adherence, and what might facilitate effective implementation of recommendations. To address these problems, the Guidelines Office IMAGINE group have designed a two-phase programme to: (i) map practice and adherence to key Guideline recommendations across Europe in collaboration with the National Urological Societies; and (ii) to understand the barriers and facilitators to implementation of these recommendations. The IMAGINE project will begin in March 2020 and will facilitate the continued optimisation and harmonisation of urological practice across Europe, ultimately raising the level of urological care and improving patient outcomes. The yearly publication of the EAU Guidelines would not be possible without the unwavering support of the EAU Executive Committee and Management team, our highly valued Guidelines Panels and young Guidelines Associates, our EAU membership and every user of the Guidelines globally. So, on behalf of the EAU Guidelines Office Board, thank you for your support and inspiration. We hope you enjoy using the 2020 update of the EAU Guidelines!