Improving holistic menopause care in the community by upskilling health and wellbeing coaches

Abstract

Background

Lifestyle optimisation and education plays a crucial role in the holistic management of symptoms during the menopause transition as well as reducing the risk of chronic diseases in the post-menopausal period. Provision of lifestyle education tailored to the menopause transition is limited in primary care, largely due to time pressures on general practitioners.

Objective

To upskill HWB coaches in primary care to deliver lifestyle advice and support as part of holistic menopause care.

Study design

A CPD and networking event aimed at HWB coaches was organised following engagement with all relevant stakeholders and collation of baseline data. This event focused on areas of highest demand according to a patient survey of women between the ages of 45 and 55 in a local GP surgery.

Main outcome measures

Pre- and post-event feedback was sought. All attendees were asked to rate their confidence on each topic presented at the event.

Results

An increase in confidence in the knowledge of each topic covered at the event was demonstrated by attendees.

Conclusion

This project demonstrated how a simple and focused education and networking event has promoted engagement and collaboration with local HWB coaches, and it has shown a clear increase in knowledge of key topics which can be transferred to their interactions with patients. It is hoped that this will serve as a foundation upon which further work can be done to expand the involvement of HWB coaches and the wider healthcare team to improve access to holistic menopause care in the community.