Laura-Jane McCarthy is a Health Research Board funded PhD student. Her PhD project focuses on shared decision making in perimenopause consultations in general practice. The project is supervised by Dr Sheena McHugh, School of Public Health, UCC and Dr Aisling Jennings, Department of General Practice, UCC. 

Why are we doing this research? 

Perimenopause consultations can present challenges for both general practitioners (GPs) and women. Treating perimenopausal symptoms should be personalised through a shared decision-making model. This process involves a healthcare provider and a patient collaborating to make informed decisions about care. In shared decision making, the healthcare provider brings expertise in medical evidence, while the patient offers insight into what is most important to them. Although evidence indicates that the widespread adoption of shared decision making in various clinical settings is sub optimal, there is limited knowledge about its application in perimenopause care. Research is necessary to explore how shared decision making is implemented in perimenopause consultations, as experienced by both GPs and women.

What is involved? 

1. A qualitative evidence synthesis and meta-ethnography to investigate the experiences of women and GPs during perimenopause consultations, as well as their engagement in shared decision-making within these consultations.
2. A qualitative study to explore how women experience and navigate consultations with GPs for perimenopausal symptoms and their perceptions of shared decision-making.
3. A qualitative study with GPs to understand how they experience delivering care to women for the management and treatment of perimenopausal symptoms and their perspectives of shared decision-making.
4. Co-design and implementation intervention to improve shared decision-making during perimenopausal consultations.

Perimenopause consultations in general practice Outputs:

Publications

• McCarthy LJ, O'Mahony A, Jennings A, and McHugh SM. General Practitioners' and women's experiences of perimenopause consultations: A qualitative evidence synthesis protocol  HRB Open Res 2024, 7:39  (https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13908.1)

 Presentations

• College of Medicine and Health Conference 2025, Cork, Ireland (Poster presentation) 'General Practitioners’ and women’s experiences of perimenopause consultations: a qualitative evidence synthesis protocol'. Presenter: Laura-Jane McCarthy. 3 September 2025
• Academic General Practice Ireland, Annual Scientific Meeting in Belfast  (Oral and Poster presentation) 'General Practitioners' and women's experiences of perimenopause consultations: a qualitative evidence synthesis protocol' Presenter: Laura-Jane McCarthy. 7-8 March 2025
• Futures Research Conference, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork (Poster presentation) 'General Practitioners' and women's experiences of perimenopause consultations: a qualitative evidence synthesis protocol' Presenter: Laura-Jane McCarthy. 12 December 2024
• 29th WONCA Europe Conference, Dublin, Ireland (Poster presentation) 'General Practitioners' and women's experiences of perimenopause consultations: a qualitative evidence synthesis protocol' Presenter: Laura-Jane McCarthy 24-27 September 2024.

Contact details: 

For further information on this project please contact Laura-Jane McCarthy, School of Public Health, University College Cork at laura-janemccarthy@ucc.ie  Laura-Jane McCarthy | LinkedIn