Scientists have created the world's very first toolkit which has the potential to manage menopausal conditions globally among women above the age of 40.
Led by Professor Susan Davis, the research team from the Monash University combined the existing research on menopause, diagnostic algorithms and extensive clinical experience to develop the diagnostic tool. Designed for use by General Practitioners, it also works through a patient's medical history and risk factors to arrive at the best treatment solution.
Professor David said that the toolkit filled the void of clear guidelines on menopause diagnosis and management, and equipped doctors with the fundamentals to care for any woman who walked through the door.
She added that the toolkit was designed in such a way that it would work just as well for a 41-year-old woman in Madras, as it would for the 48-year-old in Manhattan.
The free resource includes a flow chart of standardised questions for doctors to ask, and assess women who are potentially experiencing menopause. The kit also flags safety concerns, provides a list of all hormone therapies approved by regulators in different countries and lists non-hormonal therapies that have evidence to support their use.
The Practitioner's toolkit was published in the Climacteric journal.
