7954 Patient Experiences with a Multidisciplinary Fibroid Program

Abstract

<h3>Study Objective</h3> Examine patient experience with fibroid management options before and after consultation at a multidisciplinary fibroid center. <h3>Design</h3> Prospective survey-based descriptive study. <h3>Setting</h3> Multidisciplinary (minimally invasive gynecology and interventional radiology) fibroid center New York, NY. <h3>Patients or Participants</h3> Patients who presented for initial consultation with our fibroid program from July 2021 through January 2022. <h3>Interventions</h3> Patients were offered same day office consultations with a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon followed by a telemedicine visit with an interventional radiologist within 3 weeks of consult request. Collaborative discussions were held between providers regarding patient care. Patients were asked to complete the survey following both appointments. Data was collected regarding patient demographics, prior evaluation of fibroids, knowledge about treatment options, and overall experience. <h3>Measurements and Main Results</h3> A total of 102 patients completed the survey (response rate 77%). A majority (55.9%) had known about their fibroids for at least two years. Most patients sought out the fibroid program for a 2^nd (28.4%), 3^rd(22.5%) or 4^th (7.8%) opinion. Notably, 35.3% of patients who had previously been seen by a gynecologist were not offered treatment. Of those who had been offered treatment, 24.5% were counseled on medical management with oral contraceptives, 28.4% on surgical options and 5.9% on uterine artery embolization. Nearly all patients (86.3%) endorsed that they would not have sought two separate consultations had it not been for the program. Patients were overall satisfied with their experience; with 95.1% reporting they were more knowledgeable about their options and none reporting the consults created more confusion for them. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Many patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids presenting for additional opinions have not been comprehensively counseled on fibroid management options. A collaborative approach to fibroid management helps to better educate patients about their treatment options, provides an opportunity to be thoroughly counseled by the specialists performing either surgical or interventional procedures, and increases patient satisfaction.