Menopause Often Missing in Medical Records, Study Finds

Menopause Largely Absent from Medical Records

A significant analysis led by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz has revealed a startling gap between women’s reports of menopause and its documentation in electronic health records (EHRs). The study scrutinized data involving nearly 396,000 women participating in the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program.

Discrepancy in Reporting and Documentation

The findings disclosed that only about 7 percent of these women had menopause noted in their medical records, despite self-reporting it in surveys. This lack of documentation could hinder efforts to better understand women’s health and associated risks.

“The biggest reason is we don’t ask,” said lead author Audrey Hendricks. “In the doctor’s office, menopause is often only recorded because a woman brings it up.”

Unlike routinely captured health metrics like blood pressure, menopause is not consistently documented in standardized fields but appears in doctors’ notes, making it less accessible for research.

Analysis of Data Highlights Large Gaps

The investigation uncovered striking mismatches between surveys and EHR data. About 193,000 menopause reports appeared in participant surveys, yet only 28,000 were noted in medical records. This suggests that menopause was recorded nearly seven times more frequently in surveys than in EHRs.

Importantly, the issue was not a matter of inaccurate records. When menopause was documented, it typically matched survey responses, indicating consistent reporting when the data was present.

Implications for Women’s Health Research

The study emphasizes that menopause plays a critical role in assessing health risks, like those related to cardiometabolic health. The absence of this information poses a challenge in understanding menopause’s effects. Researchers are exploring how menopause timing and type affect health outcomes, which remains largely unknown.

Missing information on the age of menopause onset complicates efforts to distinguish its effects from aging. For example, while heart disease risk rises post-menopause, the extent to which hormonal changes or aging are responsible remains unclear.

Recommendations for Improvement

The authors suggest collecting menopause-related data systematically. One recommendation for healthcare systems is to include standardized questions about menopause on forms filled out during routine healthcare visits.

“Start asking and keep asking,” Hendricks advised. “Ask systematically and consistently.”

Including direct queries about menstrual cycles and menopause during annual physicals or specialized visits could help fill the gaps in data collection.

This improved documentation could enable researchers to explore links between menopause, disease risk, and health outcomes across populations. Better data collection might also lead to enhanced healthcare for millions of women.