Addressing Diagnostic Delays in EoE

This episode, titled ‘Addressing Diagnostic Delays in EoE,’ features panelists examining barriers that can contribute to delayed diagnosis and the important role advanced practice providers (APPs) can play in promoting earlier recognition of eosinophilic esophagitis. The expert faculty discuss how comprehensive patient histories can uncover adaptive eating behaviors and other clinical clues that may warrant earlier endoscopic evaluation rather than simply treating presenting symptoms.

The panelists highlight opportunities for APPs to collaborate with gastroenterologists and other members of the care team throughout the diagnostic journey. They describe how APPs can support continuity of care by managing patients in the clinic, coordinating with colleagues performing endoscopic procedures, and building trusted relationships with patients over time. The discussion also emphasizes peer education and communication with clinicians in emergency, urgent care, and primary care settings as potential ways to increase awareness of EoE earlier in the patient journey.

The panel then examines the clinical consequences of delayed diagnosis, undertreatment, or inadequate disease control. Persistent inflammation can contribute to progression from an inflammatory phenotype toward fibrostenotic disease, including esophageal rings, narrowing, and strictures. These changes can affect what and how patients eat and may have broader emotional, social, and professional consequences. The expert faculty also discuss the risk of food impaction, which may result in emergency care and urgent endoscopic intervention. Together, these considerations underscore why earlier recognition, appropriate diagnosis, and effective disease control are important for limiting the long-term burden of EoE.

In the next episode, ‘Induction and Maintenance Therapies in EoE,’ panelists will examine how available treatment approaches fit across the induction and maintenance phases of EoE care. The expert faculty also discuss assessing remission, maintaining long-term disease control, and adapting therapy as patients’ needs and preferences evolve.