QS ENDO Pilot – A Study by the Stiftung Endometrioseforschung (SEF) on the Quality of Care Provided to Patients with Endometriosis in Certified Endometriosis Centers in the DACH Region

Abstract

Introduction Endometriosis significantly reduces patientsʼ quality of life and is additionally a burden on healthcare and social security systems. There are currently no quality indicators for the treatment of endometriosis. The care of patients with endometriosis must be considered inadequate. QS ENDO aims to record the quality of care available in the DACH region and to introduce quality indicators for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis as part of providing quality assurance in endometriosis care. The first phase, QS ENDO Real, recorded the reality of current care using a questionnaire. The second phase, QS ENDO Pilot, investigated the treatment of 435 patients who underwent surgical treatment within a defined one month period in certified endometriosis centers.

Material and Methods An online tool was used to gather information about 9 points which covered both prior patient history and the process of clinical diagnosis. Surgery reports were reviewed to obtain information about the surgical approach, the investigated sites, findings of any histological examinations, the use of classification systems, and information about resection status.

Results 85.3% of patients were asked all 4 questions about their prior medical history. All 5 diagnostic steps were carried out in 34.5% of patients. The 3 areas needed to describe potential sites of disease were recorded in 67.1% of patients. Samples for histological examination were taken in 84.1% of patients. The endometriosis stage was classified in 94.7% of surgeries. A combination of the rASRM and the ENZIAN classifications, which is needed for complex cases, was used in 46.1% of patients. Complete resection was achieved in 81.6% of surgical procedures.

Conclusion For the first time, the quality of care in certified endometriosis centers has been recorded using QS ENDO Pilot. Despite the high certification standards, a substantial number of required indicators were omitted.

Key words

endometriosis - quality assurance - reality of current care - healthcare research

^* Members of the QS Endo Working Group who attended the Weissensee conferences of the SEF in 2016, 2017, and 2018: Dubravko Barisic, Alexander Boosz, Claus-Peter Cornelius, Iris Brandes, Klaus Bühler, Gerald Fischerlehner, Nannette Grübling, Elisabeth Janschek, Bernhard Krämer, Anna Kubus, Ivo Meinhold-Heerlein, Frank Oehmke, Peter Oppelt, Ralf Rothmund, Darius Salehin, Chi Mi Scheible, Miriam Schempershofe, Vanadin Seifert-Klauss, Omar Shebl, Kathrin Steinberger, Daniela Söffge, Sigrid Vingerhagen-Pethick, Peter Widschwendter, Pauline Wimberger, Monika Wölfler, Felix Zeppernick, Magdalena Zeppernick.

Publication History

Received: 13 January 2023

Accepted after revision: 19 March 2023

Article published online:
23 May 2023

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