Clinical guidelines for improving compliance with hormone therapy in Latin American women during the menopausal transition and thereafter.
OBJECTIVE
To provide uniform, objective guidance for physicians and other health care workers in Latin America to enhance compliance with hormone therapy (HT), and to provide a tool for continued medical education and a source for answering clinical questions.


METHODS
Literature search using MEDLINE; identification of key relevant publications by a five-member expert committee; creation and validation of a 60-item questionnaire used to survey the opinion of 72 physicians participating in a Latin American symposium, "The Faces of Menopause".


RESULTS
On the basis of the validated responses, major points were identified to enhance compliance with HT with specific reference to Latin America, and two algorithms were created to provide practical guidance.


CONCLUSIONS
The present guidelines will facilitate optimal compliance with therapy in Latin American postmenopausal women who opt for HT and for whom HT is indicated.
Maia
Hugo
H
Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Human Reproduction, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Bossemeyer
Ronald
R
Espinosa-Larrañaga
Francisco
F
Murillo
Alfonso
A
Siseles
Nestor
N
D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects*