MENOGAP pilot finds integrative menopause group visits feasible and acceptable

A pilot study published in Menopause evaluated MENOGAP, a group medical visit intervention for women with bothersome symptoms during the menopausal transition or early postmenopause. Conducted at a University of Utah Health Family Health Center, the single-arm study combined conventional and integrative health education, self-care instruction, and acupuncture, delivered by a menopause-certified physician and an acupuncturist. Primary outcomes were feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness; secondary measures included symptoms, knowledge, and self-efficacy. The supplied report does not state the sample size.

No enrolled participants withdrew, and 90.4% attended at least three sessions. Participants rated the intervention highly for feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness. After four weeks, overall Menopause Rating Scale scores decreased by 0.294 points (P=0.005), and somato-vegetative scores decreased by 0.300 points (P=0.026). Menopause knowledge increased by 1.727 points (95% CI, 0.729–2.725), and self-efficacy increased by 0.612 points (95% CI, 0.139–1.085). Qualitative feedback highlighted emotional support and empowerment alongside travel, time, comfort, and communication concerns.

The findings support further evaluation of group visits as a menopause care delivery model, rather than demonstrating treatment efficacy. Single-site recruitment, convenience and snowball sampling, the absence of a control group, and short follow-up limit interpretation. The clinical importance of the modest symptom-score changes remains uncertain, and the intervention’s multiple components prevent attribution of changes to acupuncture or education alone.