Largest Ever Endometriosis Study Identifies Patient Priorities

A groundbreaking study into endometriosis patients and supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand has identified three areas for future research that can help improve the healthcare outcomes for individuals with endometriosis.

The study, commissioned by Endometriosis New Zealand, attracted 1262 participants, including 1024 people with confirmed endometriosis.

"This makes it the largest ever study involving endometriosis patients and their supporters in New Zealand," says Endometriosis New Zealand Chief Executive Tanya Cooke.

"Study participants identified the management and treatment of endometriosis, the need for a better understanding of its cause and improvements to diagnostic capability as the three main priorities for further research."

"While these findings provide a clear pathway for future work, endometriosis research has historically been underfunded both here and overseas," Cooke says. "With an estimated 120,000 New Zealanders living with endometriosis, much more needs to be invested into finding solutions."

"The reality is the outcomes for many endometriosis patients are pretty poor, with diagnosis often taking many years and treatment patchy across the country."

Estimates based on Australian data suggest that endometriosis is likely to be costing New Zealand somewhere in the range of $1.3-1.5 billion annually through increased healthcare costs and lost workforce productivity.

"The good news is that our findings align closely with those in Australia and provide three clear priorities for future research – improved treatment options, causation and better diagnostic capability," says Cooke.

"What New Zealand now requires is proper funding for a future research programme that can investigate these priorities more closely and improve the outcomes for individuals living with endometriosis."

The study, Research priorities of endometriosis patients and supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand, is available by clicking this link.

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