Table 3.
Referral Patterns and Diagnoses
| Variable | Data |
|---|---|
| Time from first physician visit until diagnosis, months | 10.9 (22.0); 1–108 |
| Median number of physicians seen before diagnosis | 3 (2.3); 1–12 |
| Type of physicians seen before diagnosis, n (%)a | |
| Obstetrician/gynecologist | 18 (72) |
| Emergency room physician | 11 (44) |
| Gastroenterologist | 9 (36) |
| Urologist | 4 (16) |
| Internal medicine physician | 4 (16) |
| General surgeon | 3 (12) |
| Pediatrician | 3 (12) |
| None | 3 (12) |
| Other | 6 (24) |
| Prior diagnoses, n (%)a | |
| Endometriosis, not surgically diagnosed | 5 (20) |
| Pelvic inflammatory disease | 5 (20) |
| Irritable bowel syndrome/gastritis | 4 (16) |
| Dysmenorrhea | 4 (16) |
| Appendicitis | 3 (12) |
| Ovarian cysts | 3 (12) |
| Musculoskeletal pain | 3 (12) |
| Renal colic/interstitial cystitis | 2 (8) |
| Crohn's disease | 2 (8) |
| None | 4 (16) |
| Other | 3 (12) |
| Average number of months on COCs (n = 17) | 13.5 (20.6); 1–84 |
| Average number of months on NSAIDs (n = 10) | 7.5 (9.1); 1–24 |
| History of prior surgery (n = 25), n (%) | |
| Yes | 3 (12) |
| No | 22 (88) |
| Referral source (n = 25), n (%) | |
| Mother | 11 (44) |
| Obstetrician/gynecologist | 6 (24) |
| Friend of the patient's family | 4 (16) |
| Internal medicine physician | 2 (8) |
| Emergency room physician | 1 (4) |
| Nutritionist | 1 (4) |
a
Patients may have had more than 1 doctor or diagnosis.
Unless otherwise noted, data are presented as the mean (SD); range.