| Description |
Background: Vasomotor symptoms (VMS), also known as hot flashes and night sweats, are common among midlife women. Untreated VMS is associated with poor quality of life and other poor health outcomes. Primary care providers (PCPs) are often midlife women's first point of contact within the medical system. However, existing literature highlights shortfalls in provider VMS management training and comfort, contributing to a prevalence of untreated VMS. Local Problem: Despite The Menopause Society's (TMS) supplemental education and certifications aimed to bridge the gap between what is known and clinical practice, uptake remains low, with less than 50 certified menopause providers in the state of Utah. This shortage limits access to adequate symptom management, emphasizing the need for broader PCP management. While various resources are available upon request, no toolkit specifically exists for PCPs managing VMS. Methods: This Quality Improvement (QI) project aimed to provide PCPs with a toolkit derived from organizational guidelines to improve confidence in VMS management. Several clinicians from two primary care practice groups within a university's health system participated. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to assess the toolkit's impact on clinician confidence and the toolkit's feasibility, usability, and overall satisfaction. Interventions: The intervention consisted of a comprehensive, evidence-based toolkit designed to support PCPs in managing VMS. The toolkit included provider and patient resources, management algorithms, and commonly used text phrases integrated into the electronic medical record (EMR) system to improve provider knowledge, clinical decision-making, and confidence. Results: Although confidence in identification remained statistically unchanged, the toolkit demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvements in PCP confidence in managing VMS. Post-survey feedback also demonstrated the intervention's feasibility, usability, and satisfaction. Key facilitators include the intervention's low cost and potential for use across several platforms. Limitations include a small sample size, limiting the finding's generalizability. Barriers to sustainability include the need for regular updates to maintain the accuracy and relevance of the toolkit's material. Conclusion: The project's findings aligned with anticipated outcomes of improved PCP confidence in managing VMS, given that the toolkit was specifically designed for this purpose. Going forward, regular updates will be necessary to keep the toolkit current. Future efforts may also focus on expanding its scope to include management strategies for other common midlife symptoms. |
