Similarities and Differences between US and International Responses to Menopause Needs Assessment

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

12-1-2023

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess menopause education, including existing and desired resources, with a comparison of survey responses from national and global educators. Design: An IRB-approved web-based Qualtrics survey was designed with 15 total questions: 5 regarding program demographics, 6 assessing current menopause resources and training, and 4 assessing menopause curricular needs. The survey was electronically distributed to US ObGyn residency program directors as well as global educators at the 2022 International Menopause Society (IMS) conference and through regional listservs of the Council of Affiliated Menopause Societies (CAMS). 99 US program directors completed the survey and 12 international responses were collected: 3 from Australia, 2 each from Afghanistan and the UK, and 1 each from Albania, Andorra, Canada, Jordan, and Hungary. Recognizing significant variations in patient populations, a subgroup of the US responses was also analyzed, looking specifically at the 39 responses that indicated that half or more of patients served were peri- or post-menopausal. Descriptive statistics were performed along with Fisher's Exact Test for statistical significance of observed differences. Results: 39% of US based respondents indicated that half or more of patient served were peri- or post-menopausal, compared to 100% of Global respondents. Global respondents were significantly more likely to endorse having a dedicated menopause curriculum, with 75% (9 of 12) doing so compared to 31% (31 of 99) of US respondents, p = 0.008, and 31% (12 of 39) of US subgroup respondents, p = 0.0163. 85% of US respondents, including the subgroup, and 90% of Global respondents identified a need for more menopause education, and over 90% of all groups would use standardized training materials for a menopause curriculum, with 89-90% of all groups indicating that they would be likely or very likely to use self-paced menopause modules in particular. A significant discrepancy was noted in the percent of respondents who would use mock oral exam questions on menopause. Only 44% (4 of 9) in the Global group indicated they would be likely or very likely to use this resource, significantly less than the 77% (75 of 97) of US based respondents (p = 0.045) and 92% (35 of 38) of US subgroup respondents (p = 0.004) who indicated the same. When evaluating satisfaction with their current menopause training and perceived effectiveness at preparing trainees to care for menopausal patients after training, US based respondents averaged 38% on a 100% scale and Global respondents averaged a 41%, indicating sizable perceived room for improvement among all study groups. Conclusion: Large majorities of both US and Global respondents to the Menopause Needs Assessment identified a need for more menopause education and a desire for standardized materials, especially selfpaced menopause modules. US based respondents were more likely to desire mock oral exam question resources compared to Global respondents, reflecting the importance of customizing resources to individual countries. Finally, despite an identified need for improved menopause education among all groups, Global respondents were more likely to endorse an existing menopause curriculum, reflecting the value of organizations such as the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in promoting menopause education in the US.

Publication Title

Menopause

Volume

30

Issue

12

First Page

1287

Last Page

1287

Comments

2023 Annual Meeting of the Menopause Society held 2023-09-27 to 2023-09-30 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

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