HAEM-Up - Upgrade and update of the guideline ‘Non-visible haematuria (NSH) in general practice’

If blood is not visible to the naked eye in the urine, this is referred to as non-visible haematuria (NSH). If non-visible haematuria persists, it should be clarified whether this is due to a serious illness in order to rule out malignant tumours of the urinary and reproductive organs or kidney diseases such as kidney stones. However, non-visible haematuria is so common that a staged procedure adapted to the risk and individual factors is necessary in order to avoid unnecessarily burdening patients.
The existing S1 guideline needs to be updated as it is not based on a systematic literature search and does not take new findings into account. Current publications indicate, for example, that women are referred for further diagnostic tests later than men.
The researchers in the HAEM-Up project want to develop an S3 guideline based on the latest scientific findings, draw up recommendations for action for General Practitioner`s practices and, in particular, address gender-specific aspects. Due to the diverse causes and pathways of the disease, experts from various specialist areas such as general medicine, urology, nephrology and gynaecology are involved. The guideline is developed in accordance with the regulations of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF), i.e. a guideline group defines specific questions and carries out a systematic search and evaluation of scientific publications. Recommendations are then formulated in a structured procedure, with the involvement of patient representatives. The recommendations developed in this way are to be evaluated in GP practices and the results incorporated into the final guideline. The content of the guideline will be presented to patients in short video clips in a way that is understandable to laypeople.