Current endometriosis care and opportunities for improvement

Endometriosis is a chronic disease associated with debilitating pain that affects many people assigned female at birth, from menarche through menopause, not just causing pain and infertility, but also negatively impacting quality of life, participation in daily activities, productivity and income. It is associated with increased incidence of obstetric and neonatal complications, depression, other chronic diseases, and substantial healthcare costs. Despite the profound negative impact of endometriosis on quality of life, current treatment options remain sub-optimal and many patients express dissatisfaction with current care. The prevailing acute-care, single-provider model in which the provider works in relative isolation and thus with limited therapeutic strategies readily available, proves inadequate for treating endometriosis. Patients would benefit from earlier diagnosis and referral to a center capable of providing a comprehensive and multi-modal management plan that utilizes a chronic care model. Often this can only be achieved through multidisciplinary teams of providers with expertise in endometriosis. Researchers need to agree on standardized core outcome measures, relevant to patients with endometriosis and the healthcare system as a whole. Only through increased education and recognition of endometriosis as a chronic disease can we achieve better treatment outcomes.