Examining the patient-physician relationship of women with endometriosis

Research indicates that up to 15% of all women may suffer from endometriosis, a painful chronic disease that leads to infertility and premature hysterectomy.Women with endometriosis experience painful menstruation and pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction and infertility.The patient-physician relationship of these women is an important determinant in these women's successful adaptation to life with endometriosis.This study examines variables that lead to the development of the Therapeutic Alliance which measures the patient-physician relationship.A random sample of women with endometriosis was obtained through the Endometriosis Association (n=215, 90.5% were white, 70.6% had a bachelor's or above, and 78% had employer paid insurance).Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed a model (R 2 =0.15) for the Therapeutic Alliance.The model