Case-based learning: menopause and HRT consultations — transcription (audio clip seven)

Nuttan Tanna: Many of these patients come in with their children, and that can be very, very difficult. So when I think about the symptom assessment chart that I ask these patients to complete in the waiting room before they come into the consultation, these patients, where English is not their first language, will not complete it, but they may actually have asked their friend or their son or their daughter to help complete it. The son and daughter do not understand some of the questions that we’re asking. So, we are asking about personality disintegration, loss of libido. They might not have understood this.   

So if I’ve got a patient coming into the consultation, but where they bring in their children, maybe their son or daughter, for translation, I will often say to them that, actually, are they comfortable with me discussing this in front of their children? If not, the children can go outside, and we can talk in slow English. I mean, they will have some ability to discuss. It’ll be quite slow. I often ask them if I should get a translator online to help with the discussion.

Sometimes we leave those questions blank because it’s actually they need to be on HRT, and you don’t want to explore intimacy or testosterone. You’re just looking at hot flush and night sweat. You’re just looking at basic treatment planning, and actually, it makes sense, and it’s kinder just to focus on that.