An evaluation of menopause service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the experience of remote outpatient menopause service delivery by clinicians and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Two surveys explored the experiences of patients and clinicians separately. Patients attending menopause clinics in the UK were directed to an online survey which included questions on demographics and on their experience of their most recent appointment. A clinician survey was shared to members of the British Menopause Society (BMS) via email and was made available on the BMS website. It contained questions on clinic characteristics and clinicians’ experience of delivering remote menopause consultations. Surveys were available for completion between 01/12/2020 and 10/02/2021. RESULTS: Of 180 patients who completed the patient survey, 52% felt remote consultations were the same or better than face-to-face consultations, and 90% of patients felt a choice between remote and face-to-face consultations should be offered. Patients overall were satisfied with many aspects of care, though numerous problems were highlighted with appointment administration. Of 76 clinicians who completed the clinician survey, most found remote patient consultations either no different or a bit worse than face-to face consultations but found that they offered more flexibility. In some cases, significant rescheduling was necessary to accommodate for the clinical needs of the consultation. CONCLUSION: A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to managing the delivery of menopause care is not supported by patients or clinicians. There must be a robust process in place to avoid problems with appointment scheduling and associated communications. Lessons learned from the pandemic can help to provide holistic menopause care.