The impact of COVID‐19 on a specialised menopause clinic: Changes in practice and women's experiences

Abstract

AimsThe COVID‐19 pandemic necessitated the rapid change in a dedicated multidisciplinary menopause clinic from in‐person consultations to telehealth. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of COVID‐19 on menopause service delivery and consumer experiences.MethodsTwo‐part study involving the following. (i) Clinical audit conducted June–July 2019 (pre‐COVID‐19) and June–July 2020 (COVID‐19) assessing practice and service delivery changes. Assessment outcomes included: patient demographics, cause of menopause, presence of menopause symptoms, appointment attendance, medical history, investigations and menopause treatments. (ii) A post‐clinic online survey exploring the acceptability and experience of telehealth, once telehealth models of care had been routinely used in the menopause service (2021).ResultsPre‐COVID (n = 156) and COVID‐19 (n = 150) clinic consultations were audited. Menopause care delivery changed significantly from 100% face‐to‐face consultations in 2019 to 95.4% telehealth consultations in 2020. In 2020, fewer women had investigations performed vs 2019 (P < 0.001), although use of menopausal therapies was similar (P < 0.05). Ninety‐four women completed the online survey. Most women (70%) were satisfied with their telehealth consultation and perceived that the doctor effectively communicated with them (76%). Women preferred face‐to‐face consultations for their first menopause clinic visit (69%) and telehealth for review consultations (65%). The majority of women (62%) viewed the continuation of telehealth consultations as ‘moderately’ to ‘extremely useful’ post‐pandemic.ConclusionThe COVID‐19 pandemic caused significant changes to menopause service delivery. Telehealth was perceived as feasible and acceptable by women, supporting the continuation of a hybrid service delivery model incorporating telehealth and face‐to‐face consultation to meet the needs of women.