Improving Access to Pelvic Health Physiotherapy for Endometriosis

Overview

This is a mixed-methods study aimed to generate new evidence to help optimize access to pelvic health physiotherapy (PHPT) for women living with endometriosis in the province of Quebec (Canada). Specifically, the objectives are to: Obj. 1: Understand the patient journey of women living with endometriosis, including their experiences accessing PHPT. Obj. 2: Describe current PHPT clinical practices and service delivery for women living with endometriosis in Quebec. Obj. 3: Identify barriers, facilitators and potential strategies to improve access to PHPT services and optimize the patient journey of women living with endometriosis in Quebec. Findings will inform clinical, organizational and policy recommendations to strengthen the integration of PHPT within multidisciplinary endometriosis care. The project is divided into three sequential parts: Part 1: Semi-structured individual interviews (open-ended questions) will be conducted with women living with endometriosis to explore their journey to obtain endometriosis care, experiences accessing PHPT and perceived barriers and facilitators. Approximately 15-20 participants will be recruited until data saturation is reached. Part 2: An online cross-sectional survey will be conducted among pelvic health physiotherapists practicing in the province of Quebec, Canada to describe current clinical practices, service delivery and challenges related to the management of women living with endometriosis. The minimum expected sample size is 225 physiotherapists . Part 3: Semi-structured focus groups (open-ended questions) will be conducted with women living with endometriosis, pelvic health physiotherapists, physicians and healthcare managers to identify and prioritize strategies to improve access to PHPT services. Approximately 24-32 participants will be recruited across four focus groups. Across all three parts, recruitment strategies will aim to ensure diversity in participant characteristics, including geographic region, sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare experiences, to capture a broad range of perspectives.

This study uses a mixed-methods design consisting of three complementary components: (1) qualitative semi-structured interviews, (2) a cross-sectional online survey, and (3) qualitative focus groups.