Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: Experiences and Learnings From Patient Survey

Area of Science:

• Gynecology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Women's Health

Background:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) impacts 25% of women, significantly affecting quality of life.
• A national call for improved HMB management prompted this patient-centered feedback study.
• Understanding patient experiences is vital for enhancing HMB care pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient satisfaction with HMB treatments.
• To evaluate access to care, treatment side effects, and decision regret.
• To explore the alignment between patient and clinician treatment goals for HMB.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective survey was administered to 1241 women treated for HMB.
• Data collected from 150 respondents at a regional Australian referral center.
• Focus on patient feedback regarding treatment outcomes and experiences.

Main Results:

• 84% of patients experienced wait times under two months for clinician appointments.
• Hysterectomy showed high satisfaction (96.9%) with symptom control, low regret (7.7%).
• Hormonal treatments (oral, non-oral, Mirena) demonstrated lower efficacy, higher side effects, and increased decision regret compared to hysterectomy.

Conclusions:

• HMB management requires personalized care strategies.
• Informed patient decision-making is supported by clear education on treatment outcomes.
• Addressing patient-reported outcomes is key to improving HMB treatment satisfaction.