| Title: |
Utilization of healthcare prior to endometriosis diagnosis: a Danish case-control study |
| Authors: |
Melgaard, A; Vestergaard, CH; Kesmodel, US; Risør, BW; Forman, A; Zondervan, K; Bech, BH; Rytter, D |
| Publisher Information: |
Oxford University Press |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) |
| Description: |
Study question Do women with endometriosis have higher utilization of primary and secondary healthcare prior to diagnosis compared to women without endometriosis? Summary answer Women with a hospital-based diagnosis of endometriosis had an overall higher utilization of both primary and secondary healthcare in all 10 years prior to diagnosis. What is known already Endometriosis is associated with a diagnostic delay, but only a few studies have investigated the potential consequences of this delay with regard to the utilization of healthcare. To the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated it in a period corresponding to the estimated diagnostic delay. Study design, size, duration This national danish registry-based case–control study included 129 696 women. Cases were women with a first-time hospital-based diagnosis of endometriosis between 1 january 2000 and 31 december 2017. Participants/materials, setting, methods We identified 21 616 cases using density sampling. Each case was matched on age at the date of diagnosis (index date) to five women without diagnosed endometriosis (n = 108 080). The utilization of healthcare was assessed for the 10 years before the index. Main results and the role of chance Cases had significantly higher use of healthcare in all 10 years preceding the index. The mean number of yearly contacts with the gp was 9.99 for cases and 7.85 for controls, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.28 (1.27; 1.29). For hospital contacts, the association increased slightly in the first 9 years and was most profound in the last year preceding index when the adjusted incidence rate ratio was 2.26 (95% ci 2.28; 2.31). Limitations, reasons for caution We were not able to include women with an endometriosis diagnosis from the general practitioner or private gynaecologist. Therefore, our results are only applicable to hospital-based diagnoses of endometriosis. We do not have information on the specific reasons for contacting the healthcare providers and we can therefore only speculate that ... |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead164 |
| DOI: |
10.1093/humrep/dead164 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead164; https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:72a6ab06-9eb9-4c89-a1c3-5bc010520ae1 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; CC Attribution (CC BY) |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.685DEFBD |
| Database: |
BASE |