Delays and pathways for patients with endometriosis in France: A multicenter study

Introduction. - The diagnosis of endometriosis is often difficult to make, generating a median diagnostic delay ranging from 2 to 10.7 years. A study of the care pathway of these patients seems essential in order to evaluate the diagnostic delay of endometriosis in France and the factors related to the diagnostic delay.Methods. - This is a prospective multicenter study, conducted between 2017 and 2019. A questionnaire concerning their care pathway and their feelings about the diagnosis was distributed to all patients consulting for endometriosis. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis, Chi2 and Student's t tests. Results. - Fifity-seven of the 84 patients (67.8%) who completed the questionnaire were included in the evaluation of diagnostic delays. The total diagnostic delay was 12 years (min 0; max 33) and was comparable between all inclusion cities (P = 0.68). Regarding the care pathway according to specialties, the diagnosis of endometriosis was made by gynecologists in 81% of patients versus 19% by general practitioners. The time between the onset of symptoms and the first consultation was significantly shorter in favor of the general practitioner (2 years versus 4 years, P = 0.012). 60% of the patients reported that their symptoms were labelled as "normal" by the physicians and 35% of them considered them normal themselves. Conclusion. - Our study showed that the delay in diagnosis in France was still very long and that the mechanisms of the delay in management were multifactorial. Awareness raising and training of health care providers remains one of the major areas to be optimized. & COPY; 2022 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.