Menopause care is constantly innovating

The first drugs for the treatment of menopausal symptoms were approved in the United States many decades ago. Since then, menopausal care has undergone constant innovation. Innovations in menopause care can represent new or improved medicines or therapies, diagnostic technologies, ways to monitor or measure symptoms or information to help guide healthcare recommendations.

What is innovation in healthcare?

An innovation often refers to the introduction of something new. In the realm of healthcare, innovations can be new medicines – but it means much more than that. One definition from the World Health organization describes health innovation as the development and delivery of new or improved health policies, systems, products and technologies, and services and delivery methods that improve people’s health.

What are some areas of innovation in menopausal care?

• New or updated treatments. Drug makers develop new drugs or drugs that are used differently to treat different symptoms of women after menopause or to prevent certain health problems from happening
• New ways that patients can take medicines. In addition to medicines being available to be taken by mouth, some drugs for certain symptoms after menopause are also available in a vaginal cream or vaginal ring for specific vaginal symptoms.
• New technologies used to monitor and manage symptoms. As one example, several healthcare professional organizations have developed Smart Apps to help doctors and patients make decisions about treatments and recommendations for symptoms after menopause.
• New research. New studies and research can help understand how therapies work in different groups of women or can provide more information about treatment benefits and risks.
• New ways to analyze information. There are new ways to analyze data and information - such as artificial intelligence – to uncover new information or insights related to patient needs.