Patients With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Have Different Experiences in Health Care in Canada and the U.S, 2021, Juliette Hall et al

[Mij]

Among the 5733 participants who indicated their geographic location (Canada: n = 221; US: n = 5512), the majority were female (94%) and over 18 years old (89%). Patients in Canada reported seeing more doctors for their POTS symptoms before receiving a diagnosis than did US patients (6.0 [4.0-10.0] vs 5.0 [3.0-8.0]; P < 0.001).

Diagnostic delay was significantly longer for patients in Canada than for those in the US (2.2 [0.8-6.6] years vs 1.3 [0.3-5.3] years; P < 0.001) (Figure 1). Canadians were more likely to report suggesting POTS to their doctor before their doctor suggested it (43% vs 34%; P = 0.01). Even after diagnosis, a greater proportion of Canadian patients had a doctor tell them they had never heard of POTS (78.1% vs 67.3%; P < 0.001).

Canadians reported higher rates of symptoms like blurred vision (83% vs 75%; P = 0.007), tremulousness (84.9% vs 76.3%; P = 0.006), and tachycardia (99.5% vs 96.7%; P = 0.035) than Americans.

https://www.onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-282X(21)00416-5/fulltext

 

[Lilas]

Canadians were more likely to report suggesting POTS to their doctor before their doctor suggested it (43% vs 34%; P = 0.01). Even after diagnosis, a greater proportion of Canadian patients had a doctor tell them they had never heard of POTS (78.1% vs 67.3%; P < 0.001).

Exactly my experience, and it's been 12 years ! When the cardiologist diagnosed me with POTS, my doctor spontaneously said, a little off guard, "I've never treated that !" and yet he had a detailed procedure to follow written in the cardiologist's report as to what treatments to try.

 

[Mij]

I tried to explain my symptoms of OI to my GP without actually saying OI because I knew she wouldn't know what that was. Her eyes squinted and it didn't register, but she did send me to a heart clinic.