In Marseille, an experimental advisory center dedicated to endometriosis – prevention

In Marseille, an experimental advisory center dedicated to endometriosis

The first counseling center dedicated to endometriosis opened in Marseille in early spring 2023. Women are received there for examination, test confirmation and, if necessary, consideration of solutions within a reasonable time.

A pilot consultation dedicated to endometriosis was launched in spring 2023 in Marseille. It marks a new phase in a long-term project, which has been undertaking for six years by a group of doctors and caregivers.. This advice comes after creating an app dedicated to endometriosis, Luna for healthwhich makes it possible in particular to carry out a diagnostic aid test.

“Now, with just a few clicks, women can also schedule a consultation or teleconsultation appointment. They find there an offer of first resort, an opportunity to talk about their circuit, to consider appropriate solutions. They can schedule a high-quality ultrasound within seven days if there is an abnormality or Uncertainty, the next appointment, or even an MRI if necessary, ”explains Dr. Jean-Philippe Estrid, MD, obstetrician-gynecologist, specialist in endometriosis at the center Indo-Marseille Provence.

Establish a coordinated care pathway within acceptable timeframes

Since its inception, on average two to three days a week, this consultation, which has taken place in the vicinity of the Bouchard Clinic, in Marseille, is full. It takes about two weeks to get an appointment, physical or video. Since March, I’ve been seeing about twenty women a week. “They are referred to me by other midwives or make an appointment after a LunaEndoScore test (which indicates whether the risk of endometriosis is low or high) which they have already done before the first consultation,” explains Karol Zakarian, midwife and manager, “from the University College of Maieutics Aix Marseille University.

It is she who gives the consultations (at a cost of 25 euros, of which 17.50 euros is covered by social security). “My job is cut out to coordinate,” she says. Know if further examinations are necessary, consult a surgeon or gynecologist and direct women who consult remotely to a referral center in their area.

The advantages are significant in many respects: It’s added value for patients who feel heard and understood, saving everyone time and creating a true bond that allows for a coordinated path of care.

“The majority of women who provide counseling are over 30 and have been in pain for years, which is what they are trying to cope with. Often, they have not yet met the right interlocutor and know little about their illness. There are also young people who have been tested via the Luna app and want to make sure that all It’s okay, to check whether some pain or discomfort is normal or not,” the midwife conceived. “We’re not revolutionizing anything, Dr. Estrid asserts, but we’re doing faster and better by striving to remove barriers.”

Improved management of endometriosis

Start-up Luna was founded in 2018 by Pr Charles Chapron, Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at Cochin Port Royal Hospital in Paris, and Dr Jean-Philippe Estrid. Both understand that the management of endometriosis is far from satisfactory.

Their idea is to develop a diagnostic aid test accessible to all women : will be the LunaEndoScore® (CE-marked Medical Device and CE certificate) which for 3 euros allows a check-up in a few minutes, thanks to a questionnaire that leads to a risk score. Since its launch in 2021, more than 40,000 women have tested themselves in this way.

The application is the first interface. But what should be offered to women with a high degree (who often have painful periods, even discomfort, and are at risk of infertility)? Very quickly, the need to bypass a pre-diagnosis becomes apparent.. “To break the unacceptable medical delays, Dr. Jean-Philippe Estrid insists. It takes an average of 7 to 10 years and 5 doctors are consulted to make a diagnosis. Then another 2 years to find the solution “(figures fromIPSOS scan*). Behind these figures, many lament their suffering and distress “I often meet patients who have a very heavy past, who have been told it was all in their minds, who have not been taken seriously, who have been in pain for years, who are infertile and feel like they have lost their life.”

Arming women and spreading this advice

Today, the team also wants to do “treatment education” and train women with this disease.To make them experts in their disease. Indeed, it is important that they have the knowledge and tools to choose treatment (hormonal, surgical, medically assisted reproduction, etc.). Above all, this medical startup in FrenchTech, backed by BBI Franceto consolidate its model to make it sustainable and then gradually spread it throughout the national territory.

* An Ipsos survey conducted in January 2020 on 1,557 women with endometriosis.