Highlights
- •The conceptual framework of the Healthy Menopause and Ageing is a holistic model of care incorporating disease and disability.
- •Healthcare model’s core: lead clinician, specialist nurse, patient, interdisciplinary network of health and allied health professionals.
- •Provision of specialist teams in Europe needs to be expanded, as the number of women (“baby-boomers”) currently reaching menopause is increasing.
- •Accreditation of the subspecialty Women’s Health should be actively promoted.
Abstract
Keywords
1. Introduction
World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/whr/1998/media_centre/press_release/en/index3.html. (accessed 05.06.16).
International Osteoporosis Foundation. http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-statistics-category-22 (accessed 05.06.16).
2. Concept of healthy ageing and healthy menopause
3. Evidence of what women want
4. Current healthcare provision for menopausal women
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Menopause: diagnosis and management (NG23). November 2015. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/resources/menopause-diagnosis-and-management-1837330217413. (accessed 12.05.16).
- Wilkinson J.F.
- Short H.L.
- Wilkinson S.
- Mander A.
- Gleser H.
5. Healthcare model for a healthy menopause
FMH Swiss Medical Association. http://www.fmh.ch/files/pdf17/reproduktionsmedizin_version_internet_d.pdf (accessed 05.06.16).
Clinical skills | Procedural skills |
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Most frequent non-communicable diseases/conditions in midlife women (modified according to [55] ) | Network of medical disciplines |
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Ischaemic heart disease | Cardiology |
Chronic low back pain, neck pain | Orthopaedics, anaesthesiology |
Stroke | Neurology |
Musculoskeletal diseases | Rheumatology, orthopaedics, physiotherapy |
Cancer | Oncology, surgery |
Depression | Psychiatry, psychology |
Diabetes mellitus | Endocrinology, nutrition medicine |
Chronic respiratory disease | Respiratory medicine |
Dementia | Radiology |
Laboratory medicine | |
Pathology, microbiology |
6. Translating the HM healthcare model into practice

7. Conclusions and recommendations
- •The conceptual framework of the Healthy Menopause (HM) is a holistic model of care covering physical, psychological and social functioning and incorporating disease and disability. It encompasses women as a whole, beyond their hormonal, reproductive and physiological health.
- •The HM healthcare model aims to translate the HM framework into practice.
- •The HM healthcare model’s core consists of a lead clinician, specialist nurse(s) and the woman herself, supported by an interdisciplinary network of medical experts and providers of alternative/complementary medicine.
- •Provision of HM specialist teams in Europe is scant and needs to be expanded, as the number of postmenopausal women is increasing.
- •HM medical specialist teams should follow standard quality criteria and receive internationally acknowledged quality management certification.
- •Accreditation of the subspecialty Women’s Health should be actively promoted.
Conflict of interest
Contributors
Funding
Provenance and peer review
References
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