Unravelling the Diagnostic Delays and Disease Burden Associated with Endometriosis - A Targeted Literature Review

Author(s)

Maithreyi Thamattoor, PharmD1, Saeed Anwar, MSPharm1, Radha Sharma, PhD2, Raju Gautam, PhD3, Shilpi Swami, MSc3.
1ConnectHEOR, Delhi, India, 2ConnectHEOR, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 3ConnectHEOR, London, United Kingdom.

Presentation Documents

OBJECTIVES: Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women, with the most frequent symptoms being pain, irregular periods, and even infertility. Delays in diagnosis of endometriosis contributes to a significant economic burden and is associated with a marked reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This research aimed to assess the diagnostic delays, humanistic, and economic burden associated with endometriosis.
METHODS: A targeted literature review was conducted using Embase and Google Scholar databases from January 2019 to December 2024. Disease terms were combined with diagnosis-related and burden-related terms. Only full papers and English-language articles were included.
RESULTS: The search retrieved 280 citations, of which 16 studies were included for analysis. These studies were from the US and Canada (n= 6), Europe (n= 5), and other regions (n= 5). The mean age of women diagnosed with endometriosis ranged from 28.8 to 53.8 years. The mean diagnostic delays reported in 9 of 16 studies varied from 2.1 to 12 years. Furthermore, 9 studies focused on the economic burden, of which 2 reported economic burden related to diagnostic delays. Additionally, 2 of 3 HRQoL studies reported diagnostic delays in patients with endometriosis. Patients with longer diagnostic delay had more emergency visits, hospitalizations, and significantly higher healthcare cost, averaging $21,489, $30,030, and $34,460 for short (≤1 year), intermediate (1-3 years), and long delays (3-5 years), respectively (p < 0.001 for all comparisons) and poor HRQoL (physical component score, 41.5 vs. 54.7 [control]).
CONCLUSIONS: Given that endometriosis poses substantial economic burden on healthcare systems, its early detection may help in effective disease management and reducing the associated burden. These findings highlight the necessity for effective diagnostic strategies and healthcare policies to alleviate the financial impact of endometriosis. Further research is needed to standardize diagnostic protocols, and reduce healthcare costs, resource use, and improve patients’ HRQOL associated with endometriosis.

Conference/Value in Health Info

2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA

Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1

Code

SA77

Topic

Study Approaches

Topic Subcategory

Literature Review & Synthesis

Disease

SDC: Reproductive & Sexual Health

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