The experience of healthcare interactions for women with symptoms of abnormal menstruation: A systematic review and meta-synthesis.
systematic_review · Level I
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40540810.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.pec.2025.109225.
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Abstract
This systematic review aimed to explore the experience of healthcare interactions for women with symptoms of abnormal menstruation as described in qualitative research studies. We searched five databases from 2004 - 2024 focussing on menstrual symptoms and healthcare interactions. Articles were assessed for quality using the qualitative CASP tool and relevant data were extracted and subjected to thematic synthesis. We found that this group of women experience healthcare interactions characterised by dismissal, normalisation and medical myths, which caused some women to leave western healthcare. Women offer a way forward to improve communication during healthcare interactions. This systematic review and meta-synthesis demonstrates that the healthcare interaction for women presenting with symptoms of abnormal menstruation has not changed much over the last 20 years. The findings of this systematic review and meta-synthesis demonstrate that healthcare professionals need education in communicating with people who present with symptoms that have an unclear diagnosis.
Medical subject headings
- Communication
- Menstruation Disturbances
- Physician-Patient Relations
- Professional-Patient Relations