WOMEN’S HEALTH
Closing the diagnostic gaps in women’s healthcare
Hermione Blakiston and Erica Kantor warn that delayed diagnosis is having a negative impact on outcomes for women, while placing an increased strain on healthcare services. They look at the potential of promising biomarkers in closing the ‘diagnosis gap’.
Diagnostic delays remain a persistent challenge in women’s healthcare. In the UK, endometriosis can take more than nine years to diagnose,1
leaving women to
navigate years of unmanaged symptoms. Similarly, mastitis – which affects one in four lactating women – frequently goes undetected until inflammation becomes severe, even though early self- management can be highly effective for preventing escalation. Delayed diagnosis has a negative
impact on patient outcomes and increases strain on healthcare services, with many women presenting multiple times or undergoing repeated investigations. For example, in the UK, nearly half of women with endometriosis see a GP more than 10 times before it is diagnosed.2 Scientific understanding is not always the limiting factor. Promising biomarker candidates exist for both endometriosis and mastitis. The real challenge lies in translating these biomarkers into diagnostic tools that are practical, affordable, and robust enough for routine use at the point of need. This is especially important for enabling earlier detection outside specialist setings.
Understanding the challenges Many women first seek support at home, in community care, or in primary care, creating opportunities to shift elements of diagnosis to an earlier point in the pathway. Simple, reliable tools for use in these setings could help differentiate between conditions, prioritise referrals, and reduce the need for repeated consultations, supporting more efficient use of clinical resources. However, achieving this vision is
not straightforward. Diagnostic tools developed for use in controlled laboratory environments often rely on sample types, preparation steps, or equipment that are difficult to reproduce reliably in real-world setings. In women’s health, these technical constraints frequently intersect with other factors such as time pressure, stigma, physical discomfort, and fragmented access to care. All of these can hinder the uptake and effective use of new tools. As a result, usability, simplicity and integration with daily routines are critical factors that determine whether a clinically valid diagnostic solution will be effective in practice. Disconnects between scientific
Medical ultrasound image showing mastitis. A common, painful postnatal condition, diagnosis typically occurs once breast tissue has already become inflamed or infected.
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WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM September 2026
understanding and practical implementation reflect broader challenges in how diagnostics are developed and implemented. Women’s health has historically suffered from lack of investment, limited research funding, and systemic under-prioritisation. This includes conditions that affect women
Nevit Dilmen CC BY-SA 3.0
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