University of Melbourne Gets Funding for Menopause Tool

A new online decision-support tool designed to help women make informed choices about Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) will be developed by researchers at the University of Melbourne following funding through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Project scheme.

The evidence-based website is designed to ensure that women have access to accurate information that is independent from healthcare providers, and enable them to have informed discussions about hormones and MHT with their healthcare providers.

Lead investigator and University of Melbourne Professor Martha Hickey, also Director of the Women's Gynecology Research Centre at the Royal Women's Hospital, said “it is a unique and important project to give women access to impartial information.”

“Around one quarter of women experiencing menopause report symptoms severe enough to affect their daily lives,” Professor Martha said.

She said that while there are effective treatments available, many women are left to make decisions about treatment based on confusing, incomplete or inaccurate information.

Menopausal symptoms have the potential to affect everyday life, work and wellbeing, but there is a lack of information for women to help them make decisions about treatment, she said.

The new decision aid will be co-designed with consumers and clinicians to include both medical evidence and real-world experiences of women. The tool will allow users to consider the benefits and concerns of MHT based on their health situation and values/medical wishes.

Key Highlights:

• University of Melbourne to develop an online MHT decision tool with NHMRC funding
• The platform will provide independent, evidence-based guidance for women considering hormone therapy
• NHMRC also funds Indigenous child health and youth mental health projects

MHT is still the best treatment for common menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats that impact most women during their menopause, Professor Martha said. But the therapy isn't for everyone and has small but clearly defined risks that vary from person to person, she said.

The online platform will be expected to enhance access to reliable and reliable information, and increase women's confidence in their ability to engage in treatment decisions with their health care provider.

It also covers two more health research projects under the NHMRC Partnership Project scheme.

Associate Professor Anita D'APRANO has received $1.41 million to investigate an expanded ASQ-TRAK training and support model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as part of the "Growing up Strong" project.

The goal is to raise the percentage of professionals providing culturally responsive developmental screening and enhancing early detection of developmental problems. The model has the potential to change developmental screening practices across the country and increase the access to timely support services for Indigenous children if it is effective.

Dr Eleanor Brown has been awarded $1.49 million to test a new national youth mental health care model, meanwhile. The project aims to enhance services for young people with complex mental health issues, specifically in targeting individuals with mental health conditions that are too complex to be managed in primary care, but not complex enough to be treated by specialists.

By adopting a learning health system approach with the emphasis on research, co-design and implementation science, the project will evaluate the effectiveness of the new model in a real-world context and inform the development of more responsive and flexible mental healthcare for Australia.

The three NHMRC-funded projects demonstrate an ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes through evidence-based research, innovation and partnerships to tackle key health problems impacting women, children and young people.