RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To examine how women gather, evaluate, and use information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) options for managing menopausal symptoms. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Calgary, Alta. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two women with a mean age of 52 years (range 42 to 58 years) who sought information on CAM therapies to manage menopausal symptoms. METHOD: In-depth semistructured interviews. Category coding and thematic analysis were used to interpret the data. MAIN FINDINGS: Four major themes emerged: how women gathered information, how they evaluated the information, how they used the information, and the challenges they experienced in making informed decisions. Information gathering was an on going process; as women's symptoms changed, their information needs changed also. Their preferred sources of information included physicians, CAM practitioners, staff at health food stores, and personal contacts. They sought information about the process of menopause and about both CAM and conventional treatments. Study participants were highly educated. Most of them systematically evaluated information from many sources using such criteria as whether information was biased, where the information came from, and whether the information was current. Information was used to validate their symptoms and to choose treatment based on cost-benefit analysis, risk-benefit analysis, and possible negative side effects or interactions between medications. Finding reliable information was considered a challenge due to structural or information-related barriers. Several of the women cited a lack of time as a challenge: time to search for and evaluate information and the pressure of time to find relief from the symptoms of menopause. CONCLUSION: There is a need for reliable information about menopause and the risks and benefits of CAM options for menopausal symptoms in a format accessible to the range of women who will experience or are experiencing this transition. As a trusted source, family physicians have a role in disseminating this information.
Asunto(s)
Terapias Complementarias/métodos , Menopausia , Educación del Paciente como Asunto , Adulto , Femenino , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Salud de la MujerRESUMEN
Since 1981 research has explored the role of women's health centres in providing health information and education to women in a non-traditional setting. These settings have been designed to provide more appropriate, and often more comprehensive, care by responding to the specific health issues and needs of women across the age continuum. The type of care and resources provided by these centres make a significant contribution to women's capacity for participation in decisions and action around their own, health. This article examines the service delivery and perceived roles of one such centre, the Women's Health Resources (WHR) centre in Calgary, Canada. Data for this paper were extracted from WHR evaluation forms for 199 midlife women seeking individual consultation, as well as personal interviews that were conducted with four female staff members. Clients of the WHR cited numerous reasons for seeking service at the centre, the most common being for emotional health care, nutritional consultation or more comprehensive information on a specific illness. Three major components of service provision at the centre were identified: information, psychological care and complementarity of services. Women used the information they gained from WHR services to aid in health decision-making and as a resource for empowerment in being partners in their own health. Clients noted that the WHR was a valuable source of additional information beyond what their own family physician and/or specialist were able to provide. The feminist and woman-centred care at WHR, in conjunction with the emphasis on education, offers an invaluable source of information and services for women. Through the shared experiences of both the clients and staff of this centre, this article provides an outline of how such services are perceived and utilized.