Page 139 - Diagnostic delay of endometriosis
P. 139

Practitioners, has been shown to reduce health care usage and improve self- management.36 It is possible that this website is not widely known amongst gynaecologists and other secondary care professionals, which could explain the difference in appraisal as well.
Box 1. Final set of selected interventions
   Key interventions selected by the expert panel Selected in round
   Patient and professional awareness
    Increase education in the general curriculum for medical 1 students
   Increase education in the curriculum for general practitioner 1 (GP) trainees
    Increase education about endometriosis in the curriculum for 1 gynaecology residents
   Increase post academic education for general practitioners by 2 specialized GPs
   Increase post academic education for GPs by gynaecologists 1
   Increase post academic education for gynaecologists 2
    Increase post academic education for other medical 3 specialists
   Medical/scientific
   More research directed at non-invasive diagnostic tests 2
    Develop guideline concerning menstrual complaints including 1-2 indications for referral
   Develop decision aid/diagnostics aid for patients and GPs to 3 use during consultation
  The observation that the patients seemed to focus more on awareness in medical professionals than the general population was surprising. It might result from the fact that these women reflect on their experience with medical professionals during the diagnostic process. Several studies have reported on multiple consultations, misdiagnosis and not feeling acknowledged preceding the eventual diagnosis of endometriosis.4,37,38 These issues were frequently disclosed by the participating patients in the comments section at the end of the first round questionnaire. However, the general population
Selection of interventions for reducing diagnostic delay | 137


















































































   137   138   139   140   141