Primary Care EHRs Fail to Capture Extent of Menopause Symptoms
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Oct. 7, 2024 -- Electronic health record (EHR) documentation seen in primary care does not accurately reflect menopause symptom burden, and many women are not getting the treatment they need, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in Menopause.
Mackenzie L. Bevry, Pharm.D., from the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and colleagues evaluated the extent of menopause symptom documentation in EHRs by primary health care professionals. Menopause symptom documentation was compared to survey results from 229 women reporting moderate or higher vasomotor symptoms.
The researchers report that only 23 percent of participating women had vasomotor symptoms listed in the EHR clinical problem lists, but 60 percent had vasomotor symptoms documented in their clinic notes from the primary care visit. Overall, 6 percent of women reported hormone therapy use for management of menopause symptoms, and nearly 15 percent reported use of nonhormone prescription therapies for vasomotor symptoms.
"This study highlights gaps in menopause symptom documentation in the electronic health record and in treatment of symptoms," Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of The Menopause Society, said in a statement. "Additional efforts are needed to educate women and the health care professionals caring for them on the importance of identifying and treating bothersome menopause symptoms in the primary care setting."
One author disclosed ties to Mithra Pharmaceuticals, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Scynexis, and Womaness.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
ENDO: Superior Weight Loss Seen With Tirzepatide and Menopausal Hormone Therapy Use
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity receiving tirzepatide, use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is associated with superior weight loss...
Many Indicators of Anger Expression Decrease With Age in Women
THURSDAY, July 10, 2025 -- Aging is significantly related to anger in women, with most indicators of anger expression decreasing with age, according to a study published online...
Stratifying BMI by Waist Circumference Improves Mortality Risk Prediction in Postmenopausal Women
THURSDAY, July 10, 2025 -- Stratifying body mass index (BMI) categories by waist circumference (WC) thresholds improves mortality risk prediction in postmenopausal women...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.