title: The structured menstrual history: developing a tool to facilitate diagnosis and aid in symptom management.
abstract: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a prevalent symptom that encompasses abnormalities in menstrual regularity, duration, frequency and/or volume, and it is encountered frequently by both primary care physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists. Research on AUB has used numerous methods to measure bleeding and assess symptoms, but the lack of universally accepted outcome measures hinder the quality of research and the ability of clinical investigators to collaborate in multicenter trials. Similarly, clinical care for women reporting heavy, prolonged, or irregular menstrual bleeding is not optimized because standard ways of evaluating symptoms and change in symptoms over time do not exist. This article describes (1) the current methods of evaluating women with AUB, both in research and clinical care; and (2) offers suggestions for the development of a standardized structured menstrual history for use in both research and clinical care.
authors: Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02905, USA. KMatteson@wihri.org
authors: Kristen A
authors: KA
authors: Matteson
authors: Malcolm G
authors: MG
authors: Munro
authors: Ian S
authors: IS
authors: Fraser
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008598:Menstruation; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy