Researcher uses AI to improve menopause care

A researcher is using AI to improve menopause care across Greater Manchester, studying how symptoms and treatment differ to ensure fair support for women from all backgrounds.

Dr Charlotte Woolley’s project examines how menopause treatment varies and seeks to ensure equal access, prompted by reports of misdiagnosis, unequal access and inadequate care.

The research combines women’s lived experiences with artificial intelligence to examine large health datasets, including UK Biobank and the Greater Manchester data environment.

Dr Woolley gathers insights from women and health professionals on what matters most in menopause care.

These insights guide the AI in analysing the data, ensuring women’s voices directly shape the research.

This approach allows researchers to spot patterns in how menopause care differs between populations and backgrounds, highlighting gaps that might not be obvious through traditional methods.

Dr Woolley said her motivation came from hearing women describe healthcare inequities.

She said: “I was moved by women that told me about their experiences of unequal access to services, lack of information, misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment during the menopause.

“By combining women’s lived experiences with the power of AI and big data, my research will provide evidence that can drive change towards menopause care that is better informed and equitable for all.”

UK Biobank is a large biomedical database with genetic and health information from 500,000 UK participants.

The Greater Manchester data environment contains health records from the region’s healthcare system.

The project aims to identify which groups of women face barriers to accessing menopause support and to ensure all women can get the care they need.