VITAL
Knowledge
Knowledge for all
Collaboration
Collaboration for all
Real-World Experience
Lived Experience respected by all
VITAL: Virtual regIstry of peri-/menopause in AusTrALia Impacts so far...
As of 29 Feb 2024
Real World Experience
- VITAL Participation: More than 1000 participants in less than 6 months VITAL Learnings: Tough times - Value Our Experience - Health - Work - Policy - MHT - Individuality - Listen - Vitality VITAL Voice: Community Forums - Media - Parliament - Senate Inquiry - Research - VITAL Working Groups coming soon
Collaboration
- Everyone welcome: Clinicians, community, researchers, policy-makers, more.
- Collaborators: More than 300 collaborators and communication partners to date
- Opportunities: Share your story, join a research committee, ask a question - contact us to find out more.
- Introducing PRIME: Progressing Research Into the Menopausal Experience - a new, open, collaborative research group targeted on real-world outcomes. More info coming soon....
Knowledge - What is VITAL. Why do we need it. What can we do with it
International Conference Poster: "A Co-Designed, Community-Driven, Australian Virtual Clinical Registry" at the 19th World Congress on Medical & Health Informatics, 2023International Conference Presentation: This is VITAL. Health System Utilisation vs Preferences. Early Trends from VITAL" at the Australasian Menopause Society Congress 2023International Conference Presentation: "A VITAL lived experience leading to a novel interventional platform for women's mental health" at the Inaugural ASIA-PACIFIC conference on Women's Mental Health, 2023
World Congress on Menopause 2024
Abstracts accepted for IMS2024, 19-22 October 2024, Melbourne Australia
Multifaceted (under-Medicalisation in) Menopause: A year of diverse lived experiences across ANZ
This presentation brings together 26 diverse and individual case studies of lived experience in menopause across Australia and New Zealand. Differing in age, race, gender, identity, location, regional status, dis/ability, health system access, healthcare policy, socio-economics, culture, comorbidities, menopausal stage, and more, these 14 day snapshots present a glimpse of the everyday factors that affect menopause and associated quality of life. Individual stories yet a common message of under-medicalisation, these lived experiences can help us - as researchers, clinicians, community, & policymakers - target meaningful improvements in local care.
Optimising knowledge translation of menopause expertise
Authors: Sonya Lovell, Dr Ginni Mansberg, Dr Jayashri Kulkarni AM, Dr Caroline Gurvich,
Dr Louise Newson, Dr Ceri Cashell, Dr Kelly Teagle, Dr Talat Uppal, Dr Linda Dear,
Naomi Weatherburn-Reeves, Leanne March, Dr Odette Best, Gillian Mason, Dr Marina Delpin, Katie Harris, Jacinta Grima, Kirstin Bouse, Amanda Pulford, Grace Molloy, Janey Barrow,
Dr Erin Morton
Menopause awareness is growing globally, societal stigmas are finally being challenged, & community members are seeking greater access to menopause expertise. Yet is the wealth of professional knowledge actually translating into the real world?
Objective: To evaluate community perceptions, knowledge translation avenues, & assess menopausal priorities, both conceptually & via quantifiable indicators.
Methods: Data extraction, analysis & evaluation of “Dear Menopause” podcast downloads & national community responses to knowledge-related questions within the VITAL peri-/menopause registry.
>1000 VITAL participants were asked their perceptions of menopause knowledge, preferred communication avenues, improvement recommendations from their lived experience, & to rank symptom importance from their own symptoms but also for the peri-/menopause community as a whole.
>79,000 “Dear Menopause” podcast download numbers were broken down to determine real-world topic prioritisation.
Result(s): ~98.6% of VITAL participants responded re perception of current community knowledge, 83% considering it poor-to-none. Two-thirds (68%) of those currently in peri-/menopause judged their own knowledge the same prior to reaching this stage. Current workplace knowledge was perceived equally badly (68% poor-to-none), & while healthcare knowledge was “better” sadly 52% still judged this poor-to-none.
77% said we need improved care. Of the majority (97%) who answered re communication avenues, almost 20% included healthcare providers within their sources, outnumbered only by the internet (65%). Almost 40% of respondents ranked community education 1st in needing improvement, 89.5% of participants wanted improved messages/awareness, & 87.4% improved peri-education.
At a community level, psychological symptoms were ranked as the most important to address (43%), despite only a third (36%) reporting them as their worst personally. This was corroborated by “Dear Menopause” attendance numbers with sessions on psychological symptoms realizing the highest number of total downloads by >20%.
Conclusions: The global community are crying out for better menopause knowledge & awareness. We as professionals need to be responsive to consumer need & priorities to optimise expert knowledge translation & community change.
Menopause awareness is growing globally, societal stigmas are finally being challenged, & community members are seeking greater access to menopause expertise. Yet is the wealth of professional knowledge actually translating into the real world?
Objective: To evaluate community perceptions, knowledge translation avenues, & assess menopausal priorities, both conceptually & via quantifiable indicators.
Methods: Data extraction, analysis & evaluation of “Dear Menopause” podcast downloads & national community responses to knowledge-related questions within the VITAL peri-/menopause registry.
>1000 VITAL participants were asked their perceptions of menopause knowledge, preferred communication avenues, improvement recommendations from their lived experience, & to rank symptom importance from their own symptoms but also for the peri-/menopause community as a whole.
>79,000 “Dear Menopause” podcast download numbers were broken down to determine real-world topic prioritisation.
Result(s): ~98.6% of VITAL participants responded re perception of current community knowledge, 83% considering it poor-to-none. Two-thirds (68%) of those currently in peri-/menopause judged their own knowledge the same prior to reaching this stage. Current workplace knowledge was perceived equally badly (68% poor-to-none), & while healthcare knowledge was “better” sadly 52% still judged this poor-to-none.
77% said we need improved care. Of the majority (97%) who answered re communication avenues, almost 20% included healthcare providers within their sources, outnumbered only by the internet (65%). Almost 40% of respondents ranked community education 1st in needing improvement, 89.5% of participants wanted improved messages/awareness, & 87.4% improved peri-education.
At a community level, psychological symptoms were ranked as the most important to address (43%), despite only a third (36%) reporting them as their worst personally. This was corroborated by “Dear Menopause” attendance numbers with sessions on psychological symptoms realizing the highest number of total downloads by >20%.
Conclusions: The global community are crying out for better menopause knowledge & awareness. We as professionals need to be responsive to consumer need & priorities to optimise expert knowledge translation & community change.
Menopause: not yet in the Australian workplace
Authors: A/Prof Erin Morton, Prof Belinda Steffan, Prof Philip Sarrell, Dr Louise Newson,
A/Prof Ravani Duggan, Thea O’Connor, Prof Michelle Ryan, Andrew Craston, Grace Molloy.
The subject of menopause in the Australian workplace remains a contentious one; experts are divided on the a) level, b) quality, & c) relevance of evidence. Yet reduced workplace participation has been identified as an important public concern by the Australian menopausal community itself*.
Objective: To determine current Australian community perspectives on menopause in the workplace.
Methods: Data extraction, analysis & evaluation of national community responses to work-related questions within the VITAL peri-/menopause registry, including Work Productivity & Activity Impairment (WPAI).
Participants: Australian volunteers who’ve (with informed consent) entered responses to workplace-related questions within the VITAL peri-/menopause registry.Interventions & Outcome Measures: VITAL participants were asked to respond to work-related questions such as: employment situation, role, & environment; disclosure of menopausal status at work; work engagement, job satisfaction, organisational commitment, & intent to quit; menopause-related WPAI, EQ5D, intent to change other employment aspects (e.g. FTE, role), reasons for lack of change or disclosure (if any), & other factors that might enhance menopause experiences in the Australian workplace.
Result(s): Of >1000 VITAL Australian participants, ~88% identified as in peri- or post-menopausal & almost all (97%) chose to answer at least 1 workplace-related question. Yet only 9.2% of community respondents perceived workplace menopause knowledge to be good-to-excellent, with 68.4% rating it poor-to-none; only 36.8% disclosed their own menopause status at work yet 47.1% had considered changing work, 85.7% scored menopause-related “intent to quit” greater than zero & 42% scored 6/10 or more.
Moreover, 41.2% reported their workplace productivity impacted at least 6/10 by menopause, & a full 93% reported impact on workplace productivity at some level. More than 16% had missed at ≥1 hour of work specifically due to menopause in just the week prior. There was also significant input (>1000 responses) on menopausal workplace stigma & the impact of workplace flexibility on employment.
Conclusions: Although steps are being taken to increase knowledge and menopause-friendly employer policies, considerations for menopause are simply not yet widespread enough in the Australian workplace.
Chief Investigator - A/Prof Erin Morton
Founding Director & CEO - Bespoke Clinical Research - VITAL Lead Organisation
DECLARATION OF INTERESTS - Both as an individual and as owner of Bespoke Clinical Research, I proudly advise I'm interested in every concept that aims to improve health. Over the last 20 years I’ve contributed to well over 400 research projects - all contributing to global knowledge & care in one way or another through both academic endeavours, clinical guidelines, and developing new medicines for patients in need - and that's exactly what clinical research is all about. Every action and activity is governed by ethics, integrity, and respect for privacy and individual choice, for the betterment of all. In terms specifically of VITAL, any financial benefit in the foreseeable future will be driven back into perimeno improvements and expanding VITAL's capacity - whether through the myriad of potential research projects, support to awareness campaigns, utility (different methodologies offered, wearable-compatability, barcode-scanning, multi-lingual options, & international mirroring), or avenues to share experiences and learn from each other, amongst others.
VITAL Communication Partners
Australia's first Menopause & Perimenopause registry
Extracts from VITAL media release for World Menopause Day, October 18, 2023-
"Hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, depression, anxiety and weight gain are just some of the many symptoms that women can suffer during their perimenopause and menopausal years.
Menopause occurs naturally when a woman’s ovaries no longer have any eggs to release, and its symptoms are caused by a drop in hormone levels.
More than three million Australian women are currently in the 40–59 age bracket – the years that are most associated with menopause.
And more than two million women aged over 60 years are affected by biological changes post-menopause that increase lifelong risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
Despite this natural prevalence, perimenopause and menopause remain hidden conditions, with 85% of Australian women who experience significant symptoms mostly undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, untreated, and/or mistreated.
More than 30% of Australian women will experience severe impacts on their general and psychological wellbeing, which can lead to breakdowns in relationships, mental health illnesses and decreased productivity both in work and home lives.
After unexpectedly experiencing the start of perimenopause, Associate Professor Erin Morton realised how little community awareness there was about this stage of life. She was concerned about the lack of knowledge and support available, and the impact of symptoms, costs and time commitments on daily tasks, employment and family budgets."
As also referred to in that media release, it was in early 2021 that I realised I'd hit perimenopause and was rather horrified by how little was known or seemed to being done about it. There's still so much stigma, negative attitudes, poor access to services, misinformation particularly about hormone replacement therapy, and lack of general perimeno knowledge both in the community - including myself beforehand - and healthcare, I figured surely we could do better. Having come from a background of 20years in clinical trials and health data, I designed VITAL to provide the platform to improve all of this by gathering information on Australians' experience of perimenopause and menopause, and find out what really matters. Whether you're a lived experience advocate, clinician, policy maker, expert researcher, or anyone else with an interest, I'm keen to hear from all so that together we can make a lasting difference to the perimeno experience. Continued extracts: "The new registry is called VITAL (Virtual regIstry of peri-/menopause in AusTrALia) – and has a particular focus on exploring community priorities and creating tangible improvements in healthcare outcomes.
“VITAL is designed to provide the perimenopause and menopausal community with greater opportunities for involvement in their own care, and critically to collect key data that can be used to identify trends and improve research and education for measurable improvements in women’s’ health.
“I decided to create this community-driven registry to give a voice to the perimenopause and menopausal population; to define what peri really means, what really matters to them and its true – and hidden – impacts across the country.
The online registry is officially registered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Healthcare clinical trials and registry platforms. It has received cross-party recommendations in both Federal Houses of Parliament during Women’s Health Week recently.
VITAL is open to everyone – perimenopause and menopausal participants, family, friends, colleagues, healthcare providers and policymakers – at https://bespokeclinicalresearch.com.au/vitalimpact/
Menopause occurs naturally when a woman’s ovaries no longer have any eggs to release, and its symptoms are caused by a drop in hormone levels.
More than three million Australian women are currently in the 40–59 age bracket – the years that are most associated with menopause.
And more than two million women aged over 60 years are affected by biological changes post-menopause that increase lifelong risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
Despite this natural prevalence, perimenopause and menopause remain hidden conditions, with 85% of Australian women who experience significant symptoms mostly undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, untreated, and/or mistreated.
More than 30% of Australian women will experience severe impacts on their general and psychological wellbeing, which can lead to breakdowns in relationships, mental health illnesses and decreased productivity both in work and home lives.
After unexpectedly experiencing the start of perimenopause, Associate Professor Erin Morton realised how little community awareness there was about this stage of life. She was concerned about the lack of knowledge and support available, and the impact of symptoms, costs and time commitments on daily tasks, employment and family budgets."
As also referred to in that media release, it was in early 2021 that I realised I'd hit perimenopause and was rather horrified by how little was known or seemed to being done about it. There's still so much stigma, negative attitudes, poor access to services, misinformation particularly about hormone replacement therapy, and lack of general perimeno knowledge both in the community - including myself beforehand - and healthcare, I figured surely we could do better. Having come from a background of 20years in clinical trials and health data, I designed VITAL to provide the platform to improve all of this by gathering information on Australians' experience of perimenopause and menopause, and find out what really matters. Whether you're a lived experience advocate, clinician, policy maker, expert researcher, or anyone else with an interest, I'm keen to hear from all so that together we can make a lasting difference to the perimeno experience. Continued extracts: "The new registry is called VITAL (Virtual regIstry of peri-/menopause in AusTrALia) – and has a particular focus on exploring community priorities and creating tangible improvements in healthcare outcomes.
“VITAL is designed to provide the perimenopause and menopausal community with greater opportunities for involvement in their own care, and critically to collect key data that can be used to identify trends and improve research and education for measurable improvements in women’s’ health.
“I decided to create this community-driven registry to give a voice to the perimenopause and menopausal population; to define what peri really means, what really matters to them and its true – and hidden – impacts across the country.
The online registry is officially registered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Healthcare clinical trials and registry platforms. It has received cross-party recommendations in both Federal Houses of Parliament during Women’s Health Week recently.
VITAL is open to everyone – perimenopause and menopausal participants, family, friends, colleagues, healthcare providers and policymakers – at https://bespokeclinicalresearch.com.au/vitalimpact/