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. 2022 Sep;28(3):137-141.
doi: 10.1177/20533691221106011. Epub 2022 May 31.

An online survey and interview of GPs in the UK for assessing their satisfaction regarding the medical training curriculum and NICE guidelines for the management of menopause

Nitya Dintakurti  1 , Shreya Kalyanasundaram  1 , Prashant Jha  2 , Vikram Talaulikar  3
Affiliations

An online survey and interview of GPs in the UK for assessing their satisfaction regarding the medical training curriculum and NICE guidelines for the management of menopause

Nitya Dintakurti et al. Post Reprod Health. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The UK is home to 13 million menopausal women. The aim of this study was to determine the views of GPs on their levels of confidence and comfort when advising or treating menopausal women and assess the need for further training.

Method: An anonymous online questionnaire was sent out to GPs working within the NHS across the UK between January 2021 and March 2021. The questionnaire was circulated via GP e-mail lists, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and included an option for respondents to volunteer for a semi-structured interview.

Results: The questionnaire had 173 responses. 52% of GPs indicated that they were not offered enough support to be able to advise and treat women with menopausal symptoms appropriately. 77.5% of GPs expressed that there is a need to improve training provided on menopause in medical school and GP training. 60.7% of GPs felt comfortable managing menopausal women and offering them management options. 22.5% of the respondents felt that the NICE guidelines are easy and clear guidance for clinical practice. Five GPs were further interviewed, and the analysis of the responses showed the perceived need by the GPs for improvements in medical training regarding menopause.

Conclusion: There is a need for better support and medical training for GPs to help them advice and treat women with menopausal symptoms. This is key for ensuring that every woman in the UK feels supported in their journey during the menopausal transition and is offered evidence-based advice to help them make informed decisions.

Keywords: Menopause; education; general practitioners; management; perimenopause; postmenopause.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Chart depicting summary of results from online questionnaire.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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