Clinical guidelines for improving compliance with hormone therapy in Latin American women during the menopausal transition and thereafter

Abstract

Objective: To provide uniform, objective guidance for physicians and other health care workers in Latin America to enhance compliance with hormone therapy (HT), and to provide a tool for continued medical education and a source for answering clinical questions.

Method: Literature search using MEDLINE; identification of key relevant publications by a five-member expert committee; creation and validation of a 60-item questionnaire used to survey the opinion of 72 physicians participating in a Latin American symposium, "The Faces of Menopause".

Results: On the basis of the validated responses, major points were identified to enhance compliance with HT with specific reference to Latin America, and two algorithms were created to provide practical guidance.

Conclusion: The present guidelines will facilitate optimal compliance with therapy in Latin American postmenopausal women who opt for HT and for whom HT is indicated.