Abstract
Endometriosis is a common but complex disease that predominantly affects women, with biological, psychological, and social impacts across multiple domains. For regional women, their geographical location can create a unique barrier to obtaining endometriosis healthcare. This systematic literature review sought to analyse literature on regional Australian women's experiences of endometriosis-related healthcare. Databases selected for this review were Scopus, Medline, PubMed and CINAHL. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method peer-reviewed studies were included in the search. Following assessment of inclusion and exclusion criteria and the assessment of quality, nine articles were included in the review. PRISMA standards inform reporting methods of this review. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the quality of studies reviewed. Thematic analysis revealed prominent themes of diagnosis, women as experts, treatment, and ongoing healthcare, which are consistent with general experiences of endometriosis healthcare across Australia. However, existing literature was found to overlook regional-specific endometriosis-related healthcare experiences in Australia. Findings suggest that regionally focused research is needed into endometriosis-related healthcare experiences, and that social work can act to address barriers to healthcare for endometriosis across practice and research settings.