Menopause can be a time of changes, women need information regarding menopause and management of associated symptoms such as hot flashes, mood instability and vaginal dryness. Although there are ways to alleviate these symptoms, many women, due to their limited knowledge related to menopause, are not aware of these treatment options nor able to determine which options would be best for them.
We developed at the Miami VA healthcare system, a project called the “My HealtheVet to Enable And Negotiate for Shared decision making” or MEANS project, an unblinded non-randomized pilot project, to deliver an educational intervention program surrounding the management of menopause.
The project enrolled 269 female veterans of perimenopausal and menopausal age (45 to 60 years) at Miami VA Healthcare System. The six-month intervention provided educational resources on menopause and shared decision making (SDM