Abstract
Endometriosis affects various aspects of women’s lives. We searched for predictors for patient satisfaction with medical support (PSwMS) in women with endometriosis. The study was designed as a multi-centre retrospective cohort study. We approached women with histologically confirmed endometriosis from 2010 until 2016, comparing women satisfied to women dissatisfied with medical support. We analysed data on characteristics of endometriosis, PSwMS and the influence of disease characteristics on PSwMS. Information on satisfaction with medical support was collected through a standardized questionnaire. After exclusion of 73 women because of inchoately filled in questionnaires, data from 498 women was evaluated. Altogether, it was observed that 54.6% (n = 272) of the study participants were satisfied with medical support and 45.4% (n = 226) were not. Feeling adequately informed by the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001), taking women’s mental troubles seriously (p < 0.001) and supporting women in handling their pain (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with satisfaction.We found adequate information to be the most distinctive indicator for PSwMS. Further, acknowledging psychological distress and supporting women in handling their symptoms rather than to alleviate them, positively affect PSwMS. To achieve PSwMS, healthcare providers have to give adequate information on endometriosis and its management.
Highlights
Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent, chronic inflammatory condition, affecting between 5 and 10% of women in their reproductive years [1,2]
The study was designed as a multi-centre retrospective cohort study on quality of life in women diagnosed with endometriosis [6,25,26]
With this study we could show that many women with endometriosis are still not satisfied with medical support
Summary
Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent, chronic inflammatory condition, affecting between 5 and 10% of women in their reproductive years [1,2]. The symptoms of endometriosis include dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, non-menstrual pelvic pain, dyschesia, dys-uria, musculoskeletal. Satisfaction with medical support in endometriosis pain, fatigue and infertility [3,4,5,6,7]. Endometriosis affects women’s quality of life [1,8,9] and often leads to psychological strain [9]. Women’s symptoms are not always taken seriously and are often normalized by doctors [10,11] or even by themselves [10]. Many women suffer over years until they receive a reliable diagnosis [11]. In the UK, till today the diagnostic delay is 8.0 years (SD: 7.9) [12], in Austria and Germany 10.4 years (SD: 7.9) [13] and in the USA 11.7 years (SD: 9.1) [12]
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