Data published in npj Digital Medicine indicates that digital symptom checkers for endometriosis can reduce diagnostic delay by over 4 years and save more than $5,000 per patient.
A new economic evaluation suggests that digital symptom checkers (SCs) could significantly mitigate the diagnostic and financial burdens associated with endometriosis. The peer-reviewed study, published March 2, 2026, in npj Digital Medicine, utilized a Markov decision process model to compare a digital SC with the standard of care from a societal perspective over a 40-year horizon. Researchers from Flo Health, which funded the study, found that the integration of these digital tools could reduce diagnostic delay by 4.36 years and generate substantial cost savings for the health care system.
Endometriosis currently takes an average of 7 years to diagnose in the United States, a delay often characterized by fragmented care and limited symptom awareness. According to a news release from Flo Health, whose scientists collaborated on the research with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and York Health Economic Consortium, enabling a diagnosis up to 4 years earlier could significantly improve disease burden over time.
The Markov decision process model demonstrated that the digital SC produced an incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) of $10,089.00 at a $100,000/QALY threshold.¹ Probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed these findings were robust, showing an INMB of $12,398.92 (95% CI: $11,893.11–$12,904.72). From a clinical perspective, the tool generated 0.049 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per person.²
Although these clinical improvements were described as a modest addition of nearly 3 weeks of healthy life per patient, the economic impact was more pronounced. The study reported $5196.22 in savings per person over the 40-year timespan, resulting from a combination of reduced medical costs and diminished productivity loss.² The researchers noted that the greatest value is realized when the symptom checker maintains a sensitivity and specificity ≥0.7, user compliance exceeds 45%, and the time horizon of evaluation is at least 10 years.¹
Anna Klepchukova, Chief Medical Officer at Flo Health, emphasized that the goal of such technology is to bridge the gap between symptom onset and clinical intervention.
“Endometriosis can deeply disrupt women’s lives, yet many spend years searching for answers within a system that hasn’t always been designed to connect the patterns they experience over time,” Klepchukova said.²
Although the tools are intended as educational resources rather than diagnostic devices, they serve to trigger earlier care reference. The study found that using a digital SC alongside standard care could shift the average time to diagnosis from approximately 7 years to around 3 years.²
“This research explores how digital tools may help women better recognize their symptoms and bring clearer insights into conversations with their health care providers,” Klepchukova added.² “While these tools aren’t diagnostic, they support earlier awareness and more informed decisions, ultimately changing the trajectory of their care and their lives.”
The authors of the study concluded that this modeling approach provides a framework for evaluating digital health tools beyond simple accuracy metrics, potentially informing future research on other under-recognized women’s health conditions.
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