Menopause and all it brings with it is something the majority of women deal with in silence, not discussing their concerns or fears with family members, close friends or even their GP, however with developments in healthcare technology there are many more options available for women to share their share their signs and symptoms, allowing them to find out how these symptoms can be alleviated or removed all together.
Every woman's menopause experience is different, each woman going through this process is a statistic of one! Women might share some symptoms with others, yet the extent and start of the menopause is individual. Some of the menopausal symptoms experienced can be quite severe and have a significant impact on day-to-day activities, these may include…
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
- Reduced sex drive (libido)
- Difficulty sleeping
- Low mood
- Anxiety
- Problems with memory and concentration
Menopausal signs can begin months and even years prior to periods stopping and this can last around four years after the last menstrual bleed, although some women experience them for much longer. There is definitely a huge amount of uncertainty about what the menopause means, and exactly how it can be managed, which means that a 10-minute GP appointment is often too short to discuss such a complex issue. With this in mind, we have added a Menopause Assessment pathway to our EK Health Kiosk. By asking your patient to complete this assessment on the kiosk in your GP surgery prior to their appointment, you will have all your patient’s relevant details at hand so that during the appointment you will have more quality time to discuss any problems or concerns.
The Menopause Assessment on the EK Health Kiosk asks…
- What is your menstrual pattern?
- When was the first day of your last menstrual period?
- Do you have any of the following symptoms?
Hot flushes
Depressed mood
Mood swings
Joint pain
Arthralgia (multiple joint pain)
Aching muscles
Muscle pain
Urinary incontinence
- Do you have any concerns about the menopause?
- Have you tried any treatments for menopause?
- Do you have a history of DVT?
- Do you have a family history of DVT?
- Do you have a history of migraine?
- Do you have a history of uncontrolled hypertension, angina or MI?
- Do you have a history of metabolic problems (liver/thyroid/diabetes/malabsorption)?
- Do you smoke (How many cigarettes do you smoke in a day?) Would you like to quit?
- Please describe your alcohol consumption
- Please provide your Blood Pressure, Height, Weight, BMI
- Have you been feeling low lately?
- Have you been feeling anxious lately?
These questions are completely customisable should you wish to align them with the current questions you ask in your practice, or add or remove questions.
By embracing this next step in healthcare technology, women can ensure that the time they have allocated by their GP’s and clinicians is tailored solely to them and their menopausal experience, hopefully creating a change in how women deal with menopause compared to previous generations. Indeed, healthcare technology, especially FemTech or Female Technology does not have to be restricted to the doctor’s surgery! FemTech can be something as simple as a period tracker app on a phone or smartwatch. The growing use of FemTech could provide the NHS with some real opportunities to make life saving and life changing improvements in women's healthcare. These could include earlier cervical and breast cancer detection, reducing the time to diagnosis for conditions like endometriosis, and access to better treatment for mental health. FemTech could also play a big part in the NHS recovery from the pandemic, particularly when it comes to supporting women on what are now potentially much longer waiting lists than before. By women being more vocal and using their digital voices in their experiences of menopause we’ll not only learn about problems that could potentially be resolved through health technology and FemTech, but we’ll also anticipate potential problems well in advance.
So, for your patients who suspect that they are going through the menopause or perimenopause, grab digital healthcare with both hands and make their experience count. The EK Health Kiosk can help make the road through the process a little less bumpy and the knowledge curated can be used to help other women on the same journey - let’s break the silence and embrace this new wave of FemTech and digital healthcare.
If you would like to find out more about how the EK Health Kiosk can take the strain of routine monitoring and allow more face-to-face appointment time in your practice, please contact us to book a no-obligation online demo: email hello@ekinteractive.co.uk or call - 01223 812737.