A new study uncovers the alarming disconnect between women’s experiences with menopause symptoms and the care they receive in primary care settings. With hot flashes affecting up to 75% of women during this transitional phase, the lack of documentation and treatment is a pressing issue that requires urgent attention. This blog post delves into the underlying reasons behind this gap and explores potential solutions to improve the quality of life for midlife women.
Symptoms Not Voiced, Needs Unmet
However, functional changes at menopause — an entirely natural and healthy life transition that every woman experiences — continue to be under-recognized by primary care clinicians. In the new study, fewer than a quarter of women (22.7%) who reported experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes had their symptoms noted in their electronic health recordsнойrecords.
It is not only the lack of documentation that makes this more alarming in terms of quality of care — it may also indicate the reasons why these symptoms remain ‘off the radar.’. I often hear that women tend to shy away from discussing their menopause with others because they do not feel healthcare providers are well-equipped to help or address our needs. Also, both patients and providers may be unaware that there are many options available to effectively and safely treat vasomotor symptoms, in addition to hormone therapy (HT) and non-hormonal alternatives.
PERCEPTION AND SOLUTIONS
The study results reveal that a lot of women are afraid to talk about hormone therapy with their doctor, despite the fact that it is considered to be the most efficacious treatment for controlling menopausal symptoms and generally safe. These may or may not be the independent risk factors that contribute to patient hesitancy and reluctance, impressions rooted in historical views of HT.
Nevertheless, the good news is that new non-hormonal therapeutic modalities have more efficacy in reducing postmenopausal symptoms in women without using HT. The more we educate patients about advances in menopause management and the better we inform healthcare professionals about improved hormonal treatments, the more women are likely to become advocates for their own bodies or to have open and informed discussions with their doctors so that they can choose very individualized treatment.
The Importance of Well-rounded Menopause Care
These results point to a desperate need for improved efforts to target midlife women who have problematic menopausal symptoms in primary care settings, according to the investigators. Covered: Better screening and documentation processes are needed to make sure that healthcare providers discuss HT options with their patients!
Enhancing menopause care in primary care could hugely improve the health and wellbeing of millions of women. The economic consequences of timely recognition and treatment for hot flashes and other menopause symptoms can have a long-lasting impact, reducing missed work days and enhancing productivity in the workplace. We need to close this care delivery gap so that women can approach the menopausal transition with confidence and ease, opening this door for more holistic, complete coverage of unique facets in women’s health.
