Endometriosis and Environment V2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Endometriosis and environment: A qualitative study of patient and clinician perspectives on hormones and endocrine disruption in an endometriosis clinic
IRAS ID
285375
Contact name
Andrea Ford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary
This research is a qualitative study of how clinicians and patients being treated for endometriosis (or symptoms that could be endometriosis undiagnosed, such as infertility and pelvic pain) think about endocrine disruption and environmental impacts on health. Through voluntary, opt-in interviews, and clinical observation with permission granted from all parties, this project invites clinicians and patients to share and explain their experience and thinking, and to be observed in how they communicate with one another. The analysis of this qualitative data will be designed to uncover patterns in thinking and communicating about the relationship between endometriosis, its symptoms, hormones and endocrine disruption, and endocrine disrupting chemicals and other environmental toxicants. This data and analyses will be useful for improving communication and uptake of scientific research into toxicology and endocrinology in clinical settings.
Summary of Results
This study generated in-depth qualitative information about how patients and clinical staff understand what endometriosis is and how it works. Environmental explanations for both what causes it and what can be done to make symptoms more manageable were not prominent. Most people did not consider the environment to be a key aspect of endometriosis as a disease.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
20/ES/0066
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion