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Menopause course in residency program increases OB/GYN comfort handling patients
A 2-year menopause-focused curriculum helped OB/GYN residents feel more comfortable and confident in handling patients dealing with menopause-related problems, according to recently published data.
“Our study confirms that implementation of a menopause curriculum is an effective modality to increase residents’ self-reported knowledge and comfort in managing menopause patients…we have demonstrated that instituting such a curriculum is well-received and appreciated by residents,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers developed a 2-year menopause-medicine teaching curriculum to assess how well a menopause-focused curriculum improved OB/GYN residents’ knowledge of menopause-related topics. The curriculum consisted of lectures and labs with case presentations focused on menopause and related health issues, such as menopause physiology, hormone therapy, breast health, bone health, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disease. Thirty-four OB/GYN residents completed the menopause curriculum.
Results demonstrated that prior to the course, 75.8% of participants felt ‘barely comfortable” managing menopause patients, with 8.4% reporting they did not feel comfortable at all.
After completion of the course, a significant increase in participants feeling comfortable with handling menopause patients was seen, with 85.7% reporting feeling ‘very comfortable’.
Most residents who completed the curriculum (95.2%) felt the course was extremely useful.
"This is a huge challenge in the medical profession," Wulf Utian, MD, PhD, executive director of North American Menopause Society, said in a press release. "There is a tremendous void in healthcare providers understanding the key issues being faced by pre and postmenopausal women. As a result, many women are not getting the treatment they need and are suffering needlessly with an array of menopause-related symptoms. Although this was a small study sample, it provides valuable insight as to the need to provide additional menopause-focused education, and I hope that medical schools, as well as residency programs in OB/GYN, internal medicine and family practice use it as a justification to augment their current curriculums." – by Casey Hower
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Residents are not being properly prepared to address menopause-related health issues. A survey of OB-Gyn residents found that only 20% had a formal menopause medicine learning clinic, while only 16% had training in a clinic specializing in menopausal medicine. The survey brings attention to the need for curriculums and additional training in menopause-focused education for residents in OB-Gyn, Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. Areas which the residents felt needed more teaching included the pathophysiology of menopausal symptoms, hormonal and nonhormonal therapy options, bone health, heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Residents surveyed preferred supervised clinics for learning as top choice. A recent study at Hopkins found that utilizing lectures and a lab with case studies significantly increased the OB-Gyn residents’ knowledge. The North American Menopause [Society] provides certification for menopause specialists through its specialty examination held at their annual meeting and at various sites throughout the year. Credentialed menopausal specialists can be found on their web page, menopause.org.
Menopause is a key time in womens’ lives when medical choices, appropriate screening tests and improving lifestyle can make a significant difference in the health and quality of their lives. With nearly two million women becoming menopausal each year, the lack of resident training means that many women going through the menopausal transition may find that their providers lack the necessary training to help them navigate this sometimes difficult passage. Menopausal women deserve knowledgeable, caring providers to help them navigate this time and their health choices.