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The following is a summary of “Factors associated with delayed diagnosis of endometriosis: A systematic review,” published in the October 2024 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology by Harzif et al.
Endometriosis, affecting approximately 4-10% of women of reproductive age, was commonly linked with dysmenorrhea, affecting patients’ physical, mental, and social well-being.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the factors leading to diagnostic delays in endometriosis, considering both physician and patient perspectives.
They performed a literature search for studies published from March 2015 to March 2023 in the PubMed, Cochrane, PMC, CINAHL, and SCOPUS databases that reported on factors associated with the delayed diagnosis of endometriosis.
The results showed that 6 studies were included in the analysis. Patient factors, such as age at first symptom (P < 0.001) and age at first consultation (P < 0.001), were linked to the delayed diagnosis of endometriosis. Physician factors also contributed to delays, including the number of doctor visits required for a diagnosis (P < 0.001), time to referral to a gynecologist (P = 0.028), and misdiagnosis by a general practitioner (P= 0.021). Patients reported that general practitioners normalized their symptoms, while general practitioners displayed insufficient knowledge of endometriosis. Additionally, time-consuming consultations were associated with delayed diagnosis from a health professional’s perspective.
They concluded the factors associated with the delayed diagnosis of endometriosis were related to both patients and physicians, including age and consultation, normalization of symptoms, and insufficient knowledge among general practitioners, indicating that increasing awareness and knowledge about endometriosis could reduce the diagnostic delays.
Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/22840265241291120
