Survey on the need for menopause education in Londonderry,Northern Ireland

Introduction

Menopause is an experience that all women go through. It is a time of symbolic and physical change that some women find very distressing. Attitudes to it vary from those who see it as a natural part of life’s continuum, to those who regard it as a medical condition. Relatively, few understand the effect it could have on longer-term health. Advice from healthcare professionals (HCPs) can be biased, confusing and contradictory. ¹ It is normally experienced between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age in the UK is 52. Eighty percent of women will suffer from menopausal symptoms in the UK. These symptoms will be considered difficult and upsetting in 45%. The symptoms of menopause can last for between two and five years.^2,3

It is important that HCPs have the necessary knowledge and support to recognize and manage patients with menopausal symptoms. In the Western Trust, there are currently no specialist menopause clinics, with the nearest one available in the Southern and Belfast Trusts 2–3 h away with a six-month waiting list.

Methods

The survey was conducted in the Western Trust of Northern Ireland to establish the confidence of practitioners in their own menopause skills and knowledge and to assess the need for further educational updates. A total of 120 surveys were distributed to HCPs. Included in this survey were GPs, GP trainees, practice nurses, family planning doctors and family planning nurses. The survey consisted of a series of five questions. The questions were developed with the aim of assessing confidence in their existing knowledge on the menopause and the desire for development of a local resource. Additionally, the survey identified the age, sex and the health care role of the respondent. Of the 120 surveys that were distributed, 108 completed reports were returned.

Results

Table 1 shows the results of the survey. The results found that only 57.41% of HCPs feel confident in advising women about the menopause. Just under half 47.17% were aware of the most recent guidelines on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A small percentage (31.78%) of the HCPs has attended courses on menopause and HRT. There was a strong agreement (87.85%) that a local/regional menopause clinic would be beneficial; 76.9% of the questionnaires were done by GPs and 92.6% of the respondents were over 30 years.

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Table 1.

Questions asked in the survey.

	Yes (%)	No (%)
Do you feel confident in advising women about the consequences and the treatment of menopause?	57.40	42.60
Have you attended any courses/meetings about menopause and HRT in the previous 5 years?	31.80	68.20
Are you aware of recent guidelines on the use of HRT?	47.20	57.80
Would a local educational session on Management of the Menopause be helpful?	96.20	3.80
Would a local/regional specialist menopause clinic be helpful?	87.90	12.10

Discussion

The confidence in their knowledge on menopause and the opinion of local HCPs on establishing a local specialist resource has been evaluated. At present, there is little in the way of education on the menopause for local HCPs in the Western Trust. In addition, no local specialist menopause clinic exists. The nearest clinics are Antrim, Craigavon and Belfast. These clinics are a considerable distance from Londonderry. Our survey identified that not all local HCPs are confident in advising or aware of the most up to date guidelines on the management of menopause. In the light of these results, it is clearly evident that there is a desire for more education on the menopause. Secondly, the results show that there is strong support in favour of a local/regional specialist menopause clinic.