Communication of Endometriosis Pain is Complex

Exploring both patient and healthcare professional perspectives is crucial to improving pain communication.

Key Points

Highlights: 

• A significant communication gap exists between patients with endometriosis and healthcare professionals regarding the experience and management of pain.

Importance:

• Recognizing and addressing these barriers is essential to improving patient outcomes and ensuring effective care.

What’s done here:

• This is a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 37 studies on 4842 participants between 2003-2023.
• Study Explored patient and healthcare professional experiences of pain communication in endometriosis.
• Identified key themes are: "Navigating the double burden," "Lack of mutual understanding," and "The complexities of conveying pain."
• Study used thematic analysis guided by a registered PROSPERO protocol and PRISMA 2020 standards.

Key results:

Three themes emerged about the barriers to pain communication:

• Navigating the double burden 
• Lack of mutual understanding 
• The complexities of conveying pain

Limitations:

• Some of the studies had limited data about pain communication.
• Only studies published in English and Nordic languages were included limiting the applicability of the findings to other cultures.
• The participants included in the studies were not heterogeneous and all came from patient organizations in Western countries.

Lay Summary

The communication of pain between patients with endometriosis and doctors is complex and includes patterns of disbelief, normalization, and psychological attribution. This is according to a new study by Norwegian scientists published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 

“Engaging in discussions about pain presents diverse challenges stemming from insufficient communication skills and assessment tools,” the authors of the study said. 

To analyze findings on how patients with endometriosis and healthcare professionals experience the communication of pain, a team of researchers led by Dr. Gudrun Rohde from the Department of Health and Nursing Science at the University of Agder and the Department of Clinical Research, at Sorlandet Hospital in Kristiansand, Norway conducted a systematic search and meta-analysis of the literature about patients with endometriosis and pain communication.

They identified and analyzed 37 reports published between 2003 and 2023 that included a total of 4842 participants. 

Through thematic analysis, the researchers developed three themes. These were: Navigating the double burden, Lack of mutual understanding, and The complexities of conveying pain.

Ultimately, they found that there was a significant barrier to communication between patients and healthcare professionals, which resulted from the patients' previous negative experiences. Patients felt lonely, perceived themselves as being weak, and thought they were not able to manage their pain adequately.

“Healthcare professionals need training to recognize and address signs of pain effectively, ensuring that patients feel heard and validated,” the researchers concluded. “Additionally, development of communication guidelines that acknowledge the impact of pain on daily life is essential for enhancing patient-provider interactions”.

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39440568/