Doctor-Patient Communication on Menopause – Metagenetics Blog

By Monazza Ahmad, B.Pharm, MSc

To ensure the best health outcomes in a health care setting, it is important to establish open, effective, and respectful communication between a patient and a health care professional.

As a patient, it is not only your right, but also in your best interest to ask your doctor for clarification or further explanation about your health condition and your treatment plan. As a healthcare provider, it is your responsibility to provide a safe and comfortable environment for your patients to openly discuss their health concerns and to ensure that your diagnosis and treatment plan are well understood.

That said, menopause can cause many complex and confusing symptoms that can be uncomfortable to talk about, which can make managing symptoms difficult. Here are some tips for both patients and professionals to start the conversation about menopause and its symptoms that we discussed in our previous post, Menopause symptoms.

When should I talk to my doctor about menopause?¹

First of all, don’t be uncomfortable. Menopause is a natural phase of life and your doctor is probably familiar with all the possible symptoms. Describe your condition and symptoms in detail and explain how they affect your lifestyle and relationships. The provider must rule out any other underlying condition before determining that it is menopause.

Contact your doctor if:

• You haven’t had a period for two months in a row
• You have more than one period in a month or your cycle is unusually irregular
• You have uncomfortable vaginal dryness
• Symptoms interfere with your daily activities
• The symptoms affect your sex life and your intimate relationship
• You constantly have brain fog and feel sad
• You often start sweating suddenly and it doesn’t feel normal
• You gain weight unusually
• Other treatments do not help with the symptoms

Don’t forget to tell your doctor if you have any allergies or other health conditions. Also list any medications or supplements you are already taking for menopausal symptoms or other conditions.

What should I ask my doctor?

Medical appointments can be stressful and often feel rushed. When you have a sensitive topic to discuss, preparation can help. Here are some questions you can ask your practitioner:

1. How do I know when I start? menopause?
2. What is the difference between perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause? And how do I know which phase I’m going through?
3. What are the different challenges of each phase?
4. How can I say hot flashes apart from normal sweating?
5. What can I do to relieve my symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness?
6. Why do I feel so menopausal worryand how can i overcome this?
7. What are my treatment options and how long does each option take to work?
8. Are there any side effects with these options?
9. What are the safe, non-hormonal solutions to manage menopause symptoms that I can try first?
10. When should I seek further medical attention?

How can health care providers ensure proper menopause care?

Often, the reluctance of health professionals to address these women’s issues can also cause a lack of awareness. It is the healthcare provider’s responsibility to ensure that patients feel comfortable discussing their menopause concerns and understand the treatment plan.²

According to an NIH study, patients are more likely to discuss the menopause transition with providers who don’t make them feel rushed, are good listeners, and have expertise in this area of ​​women’s health.

Here are some ways to help your patients get the best care:

1. Keep your tone friendly.
2. Be empathetic and sensitive about their health challenges.
3. Use plain language and avoid medical jargon (don’t assume your patients are familiar with complex medical terms).
4. Create communication materials in advance on the 5th^u– up to 8^u– grade level understanding.
5. Give women time to reflect and find words to express their concerns.
6. Ask closed and open questions to find out more.
7. Be sure to ask if they understand the treatment plan and what concerns they have about treatment options or compliance. Offer to redo the plan.

What to ask your patients:³

• Do you suddenly break out in sweats at such a level that it makes you feel embarrassed?
• Do you have vaginal dryness that is accompanied by discomfort and is affecting your sex life?
• Do you have brain fog and feelings of sadness? How do you feel when this happens? How do you deal with it?
• Do you feel a lack of interest in everyday activities? What does your day look like?
• Do you have any concerns about the treatment plan we discussed?
• Do you want me to go over the treatment plan again?

The Menopause Rating Scale and Symptom Rating Form can be used to track symptom improvement to see which treatment options are working:^4.5

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life and its challenges must be accepted and understood at work, at home and socially and socially. If these concerns are not gradually communicated in a health care setting, it will be difficult for us to understand the impact of this condition on a woman’s life.

For more information about women’s health and general wellness issuesvisit it Metagenics Blog.

Bibliographical references:

1. Sachdev P. Talking to your doctor about menopause. Accessed 16 May 2023.
2. Angelou K. et al. The genitourinary syndrome of menopause: a review of recent data. Cureus. 2020? 12(4):e7586.
3. Newson L et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of urogenital atrophy or the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Accessed 16 May 2023.
4. Heinemann K et al. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS): A methodological review. Health Quality of Life Outcomes. 2004? 2:45.
5. Hauser GA et al. About MRS. Accessed 16 May 2023.