Worldwide Dissatisfaction With the Diagnostic Process and Initial Treatment of PCOS

摘要

A notable article in this issue is “Delayed Diagnosis and a Lack of Information Associated With Dissatisfaction in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” by Drs Gibson-Helm, Teede, Dunaif, and Dokras(1). The authors present their results from an Internet survey of 1385 women with a diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) from around the globe. The survey assessed women’s overall satisfaction with their diagnosis process and initial treatment recommendations for PCOS, using a previously validated assessment tool (2). The authors found that more than a third of women surveyed spent 2 years seeking a diagnosis to explain their symptoms and saw at least 3 separate medical providers. Furthermore, only 25% of women were satisfied with the information provided regarding treatment options, in particular lifestyle change. This work is a follow-up of a smaller study conducted within Australia, which also found...