Delays to diagnosis in pulmonary arterial hypertension still persist today, despite the substantial progress made in the field. This ongoing issue continues to pose a significant challenge, highlighting the need for continued efforts to improve early detection and intervention strategies.
Delays in diagnosis not only prolong patient suffering but also lead to missed opportunities for timely intervention and management. The ramifications of delayed diagnosis can be severe, as the condition is a progressive and potentially life-threatening.
We were interested to read about a new multinational survey involving pulmonary arterial hypertension physicians and their patients, titled “The diagnostic journey of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients: results from a multinational real-world survey”, published in Therapeutic advances in Respiratory Diseases in February 2024.
The study aimed to understand the diagnostic journey of the patients. 1.152 physicians completed patient record forms, and 572 patients filled in self-completion forms. The survey was conducted in five European countries (EU5), Japan and the USA.
Results showed an average delay of 17 months between symptom onset and diagnosis, The disparity was partly due to the time taken by patients to consult a physician about their symptoms (9.6 months overall). Most patients (71.6%) initially consulted primary care physicians about their symptoms and 76.4% of patients were referred to a specialist. Misdiagnoses occurred in 40.9% of patients and they saw an average of 2.9 physicians overall before being diagnosed. Diagnosis was most often made by cardiologists (50.4%) or pulmonologists (49.3%).
The study authors conclude that the data suggests that diagnostic delay in pulmonary arterials hypertension results from patient- and physician-related factors, which differ across regions and include lack of awareness of the condition on both sides. Development of better screening strategies may help address this barrier to timely diagnosis.
The article is open access and can be read at this link
The findings from a recent Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK major survey found that for over half of the respondents reporting (859 patients) it took more than a year to receive a diagnosis, and for nearly a quarter three years before obtaining one. 32 individuals had to consult with four or more doctors before finally receiving their diagnosis. Read more about the PHA UK survey at this link
Citation
Small M, Perchenet L, Bennett A, Linder J. The diagnostic journey of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients: results from a multinational real-world survey. Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease. 2024;18. doi:10.1177/17534666231218886