DXS was one of eight companies selected from 25 applicants to participate in Innovate UK's Endometriosis Diagnosis Hackathon at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. We were the only company working directly in primary care.
Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women in the UK, yet it currently takes an average of 7–10 years from first symptoms to confirmed diagnosis. The hackathon set an ambitious target: to find bold, innovative ways to reduce that timeline to one year. Researchers and clinicians presented the full scale of the problem, including diagnostic challenges, the vast diversity of symptoms across patients, overlapping conditions, and the fact that patients more often present with multiple symptoms and across multiple specialties – from urology and gastroenterology to neurology – before endometriosis is considered.
Each attending company led a roundtable discussion on their proposed solution. Our pitch centred on two complementary initiatives. First, enhancing our proven SMART Referrals platform to deliver better endometriosis and pelvic pain referrals, ensuring the right clinical data is captured so specialists can see patients faster and more effectively. Second, we introduced SMART Pathways, a new concept designed to flag at-risk patients during routine primary care consultations, well before a formal referral is even considered. By analysing patterns in GP records – whether from a patient's first visit or across multiple appointments – SMART Pathways could prompt earlier consideration of endometriosis, provide supporting clinical tools, and create a richer handoff between primary and secondary care with a focus on interoperability and data transfers.
Solutions were evaluated using the Six Thinking Hats framework, which captures the practical steps needed to move forward. Clinicians, researchers, patients, and industry leaders all contributed. We refined our approach based on this collective input, and our COO, Steven Bauer, delivered our final pitch to the panel of experts.
We heard first-hand just how complex endometriosis is, from its varied biology and genetics to the deeply personal impact on patients' lives. Solving it requires effort at every level: GPs, specialists, researchers, technologists, and patients themselves. The hackathon reinforced something we already knew: the best solutions come from listening to clinicians, patients, and researchers together. It's exactly how we've always approached product development, and exactly how we'll tackle endometriosis diagnosis.
Specialist gynaecologists shared encouraging feedback, noting that our SMART Referrals solution would have a significant impact in their areas of practice – with patients frequently referred unnecessarily, they felt the solution would save both clinicians and patients considerable time.
The insights and connections from this event will inform our product trajectory and our commitment to improving outcomes across the entire patient pathway.
