Endometriosis Knowledge Among Emergency Medicine Providers at a Single Center: Diagnostic Skills and Symptom Recognition [ID 1417]

INTRODUCTION: Endometriosis is often associated with significant diagnostic delays, averaging 6.7 years, largely due to nonspecific symptoms and inadequate diagnostic approaches. Emergency department (ED) visits by endometriosis patients exceed 15,000 annually, highlighting the need for adequate knowledge on endometriosis and how to correctly diagnose it. This study surveys emergency medicine (EM) attendings, residents, and advanced practice providers (APPs) at an academic ED and six community EDs to assess their knowledge and clinical practice in managing endometriosis-related ED complaints. METHODS: A questionnaire adapted from a prior study on endometriosis knowledge was modified for EM providers. It was administered by an anonymous survey (Qualtrics) via email and monthly EM newsletters to physicians, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and fellows practicing at an academic ED and six community EDs. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze responses. RESULTS: Of the 43 respondents, 65.1% were female, 32.6% male, and 2.3% nonbinary. Most were physicians (55.8%), followed by residents (25.6%). 31.7% felt they lacked adequate knowledge about managing endometriosis in the ED, whereas 14.6% did not consider endometriosis in their differential diagnoses despite 86% seeing patients with gynecological complaints several times per month. 61.0% recommended or offered a pelvic examination “most of the time” for these complaints, although only 39.0% felt “moderately knowledgeable” on endometriosis. 75.6% expressed a desire for more education on the topic. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: There may be a gap in endometriosis knowledge among EM providers, with many interested in further education. Addressing this gap through training may improve diagnostic accuracy, reducing delays.