Patient Satisfaction Regarding Shared Decision-Making During the Menopausal Transition Scoping Review
Main Article Content
Keywords
patient satisfaction, patient-provider communication, women's health
Abstract
Introduction: Shared decision-making (SDM) is central to patient-centered care but remains underexplored in menopause management. Many women report dissatisfaction with menopause care, including feeling dismissed, inadequately informed, or excluded from treatment decisions. This scoping review examined existing evidence on the relationship between SDM and patient satisfaction during the menopausal transition.
Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, literature searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and APA PsycINFO for peer-reviewed English-language studies published between 2002 and 2025. Studies examining SDM in menopause-related healthcare encounters with outcomes related to satisfaction, communication, or decision processes were included.
Results: Eight studies met inclusion criteria, including randomized controlled trials, mixed-methods evaluations, quasi-experimental studies, and cross-sectional research. Interventions included decision aids, discussion guides, web-based tools, and pre-consultation preparation resources. Across studies, SDM interventions improved knowledge, reduced decisional conflict, and increased satisfaction with treatment decisions. Women reported higher satisfaction when clinical encounters included clear information, opportunities for participation, and relational elements such as empathy and validation.
Conclusions: Patient satisfaction with menopause care appears influenced by both informational support and relational dynamics within SDM encounters. Integrating decision-support tools with communication strategies that emphasize validation and collaboration may improve engagement and satisfaction during the menopausal transition.
References
2. Wegrzynowicz AK, Walls AC, Godfrey M, Beckley A. Insights into perimenopause: a survey of perceptions, opinions on treatment, and potential approaches. Women (Basel). 2025;5(1):4. doi:10.3390/women5010004.
3. Meier S, Lawal FB, Kasting ML, DeMaria AL. Women’s voices: exploring context and practical strategies for women’s health shared decision-making in community health settings. Womens Reprod Health. 2024;11(1):48-68. doi:10.1080/23293691.2023.2185117.
4. Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results from the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288(3):321-333. doi:10.1001/jama.288.3.321.
5. Faubion SS, Crandall CJ, Davis L, et al. The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022;29(7):767-794. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002028.
6. Salamon M. FDA removes menopause hormone therapy black box warnings: experts implored the agency to balance the treatment’s risks and benefits. Harvard Health Publishing. 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/fda-removes-menopause-hormone-therapy-black-box-warnings.
7. Ghehi LM, Jafarabadi MA, Hakimi S, et al. The effect of shared decision-making on the conflict and regret in menopause symptoms management: an interventional study. BMC Womens Health. 2025;25:239. doi:10.1186/s12905-025-03774-4.
8. Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, et al. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):467-473. doi:10.7326/m18-0850.
9. Veritas Health Innovation. Covidence systematic review software. Melbourne, Australia: 2025. https://www.covidence.org.
10. Col NF, Ngo L, Fortin JM, Goldberg RJ, O’Connor AM. Can computerized decision support help patients make complex treatment decisions? A randomized controlled trial of an individualized menopause decision aid. Med Decis Making. 2007;27(5):585-598. doi:10.1177/0272989X07306781.
11. Rostom A, O’Connor A, Tugwell P, Wells G. A randomized trial of a computerized versus an audio-booklet decision aid for women considering post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy. Patient Educ Couns. 2002;46(1):67-74. doi:10.1016/S0738-3991(01)00167-7.
12. Snyder LB, Newton KM, Ng HX, et al. Positive impact of a menopause website – MyMenoplan.org – on treatment intentions, knowledge, and decision making: a randomized controlled trial. Maturitas. 2025;199:108630. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108630.
13. Stute P, Bińkowska M, Briggs P, et al. Development, content validation and feasibility of a decision aid tool for the treatment of women with menopausal symptoms. Maturitas. 2025;194:108195. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108195.
14. Menard P, Stacey D, Légaré F, Woodend K. Evaluation of a natural health product decision aid: a tool for middle aged women considering menopausal symptom relief. Maturitas. 2010;65(4):366-371. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2009.12.005.
15. Bailey SC, Andrews EN, Halton CC, Wolf MS. Evaluation of a discussion guide to promote patient understanding of menopause and informed treatment decision-making. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2021;30(3):445-451. doi:10.1089/jwh.2020.8436.
16. Dayaratna S, Sifri R, Jackson R, et al. Preparing women experiencing symptoms of menopause for shared decision making about treatment. Menopause (New York, N.Y.). 2021;28(9):1060-1066. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000001807.
17. Richardson MK, Coslov N, Woods NF. Seeking health care for perimenopausal symptoms: observations from the Women Living Better survey. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2023;32(4):434-444. doi:10.1089/jwh.2022.0230.
18. Kagan PN, Smith MC, Chinn PL, editors. Philosophies and Practices of Emancipatory Nursing: Social Justice as Praxis. Routledge; 2014.
19. Elwyn G, Frosch D, Thomson R, et al. Shared decision making: a model for clinical practice. J Gen Intern Med. 2012;27(10):1361-1367. doi:10.1007/s11606-012-2077-6.
20. Joseph-Williams N, Elwyn G, Edwards A. Knowledge is not power for patients: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of patient-reported barriers and facilitators to shared decision making. Patient Educ Couns. 2014;94(3):291-309. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2013.10.031.
21. Stacey D, Légaré F, Lewis K, et al. Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;4:CD001431. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001431.pub5.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright, 2026 by the authors. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.