How Women with Endometriosis Experience Health Care Encounters
Agneta Pettersson1, Carina M Berterö2
1Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU), Stockholm, Sweden.
Women'S Health Reports (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
|March 31, 2021
Summary
Women with endometriosis often face healthcare ignorance and delays due to insufficient knowledge and trivializing attitudes from providers. Improved provider expertise and empathy are crucial for better patient experiences and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Qualitative Research Synthesis
- Patient Experience Studies
Background:
- Endometriosis significantly impacts women's quality of life.
- Qualitative research is essential to understand patient perspectives on healthcare encounters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize qualitative studies on women's experiences with healthcare encounters for endometriosis.
- To identify key themes and improve understanding of patient-provider interactions.
Main Methods:
- A meta-synthesis of 14 qualitative studies published between 2000-2018.
- Inclusion criteria focused on original research regarding endometriosis and women's experiences.
- Data synthesis involved identifying and interpreting three core themes.
Main Results:
- Theme 1: Insufficient provider knowledge leading to misinterpretation of symptoms.
- Theme 2: Trivialization of symptoms as a "women's issue," leading to disregarded concerns.
- Theme 3: Competent and supportive provider relationships mitigated knowledge gaps and improved care.
Conclusions:
- Women with endometriosis frequently encounter ignorance and delays in non-specialized care.
- Healthcare professionals often fail to take endometriosis symptoms seriously.
- Enhanced provider expertise and improved attitudes are vital to improve the healthcare experience for women with endometriosis.
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