Patient-identified needs for hormone replacement therapy counseling: a qualitative study.
BACKGROUND
Numerous medical organizations, including the American College of Physicians, have recommended that women be counseled about postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Patients' perspectives on their counseling needs, however, have not been integrated into most counseling guides.


OBJECTIVE
To use patient self-reports to identify needs for HRT counseling.


METHODS
Individual, in-depth patient interviews.


METHODS
Managed care organization.


METHODS
26 women who had received an initial prescription for HRT.


METHODS
Qualitative, consensus review of the content of interview transcripts.


RESULTS
On average, women reported 15 factors (range, 6 to 24 factors) as critical to their decision-making process. Although most women cited their physician's opinion (96%), reports in the media (81%), and experiences and opinions of friends (77%) as critical to their decisions about HRT, counseling recommendations address none of these concerns.


CONCLUSIONS
Many women in a managed care organization who accepted a prescription for HRT identified counseling needs that are not included in widely used HRT guidelines.
Connelly
M T
MT
Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Ferrari
N
N
Hagen
N
N
Inui
T S
TS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003657:Decision Making; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012306:Risk