Women experiencing menopause will benefit from an online tool to navigate options and help them make informed decisions about Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT).
The project, led by University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital researchers, will co-design an evidence-based digital tool with women, clinicians and consumer groups to support personalised decision-making about menopause treatment options.
Funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Partnership Project scheme, the tool will be developed by a team led by Professor Martha Hickey, Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health at the University of Melbourne, and Director of the Women’s Gynaecology Research Centre at the Royal Women’s Hospital.
The team includes Dr Sarah Lensen, a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne who built her fertility research career with Cochrane gynaecology and fertility group, New Zealand.
The investigators say for many women, navigating menopause treatments can be overwhelming, with conflicting information and uncertainty about who to trust.
Co-designed to empower women
Professor Hickey will co-design the tool in partnership with various organisation and stakeholders, as well as women and clinicians, to improve access to consistent, high quality menopause care and reduce confusion caused by misinformation.
“This project will be the first evidence based tool, co-designed with consumers and clinicians to empower women to make informed choices MHT, based on their own values and needs,” Professor Hickey said.
This project is one of nine research projects the Government is funding through the Partnership Project scheme. The projects will receive a total investment of $13.7 million, with an additional $17.4 million committed by funding partners.
Partners include hospitals, federal, state, territory or local government, health service providers, non-government organisations and charities and community organisations.
The Partnership Project scheme provides funding and support to create new opportunities for researchers and policy makers to work together to define research questions, undertake research, interpret the findings and implement the findings into policy and practice.
Full details of the researchers and projects funded are available to download on NHMRC’s outcomes of funding rounds page.
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