JAMA Network Open: Menopause Symptom Divergence, Online Forums vs EHR Notes (Jul 2026)

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: JAMA Network Open · Published: July 14, 2026 · Accessed: August 26, 2026

Visit the source ↗

Claims this source supports

• Comparing 646 EHR clinical notes (screened from 2M+ UCSF records) with 577 top r/menopause posts, cognitive impairment came up in ~20% of Reddit posts but only ~5% of clinic visits, a roughly 4x divergence (JAMA Network Open, Jul 2026, DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.23217).
• Emotional well-being and weight change were also several times more likely to be discussed in online forum posts than documented in EHR clinical notes; hot flashes, night sweats, hormone therapy, lifestyle changes, sexual health and herbal remedies were more likely to appear in clinical notes.
• No statistically significant difference was found between posts and notes for sleep disturbances, skin and hair changes, or bone and joint health.
• Lead author Yulin Hswen (UMD School of Public Health): 'Electronic health records tell us what medicine sees. Online communities tell us what patients experience. We need both.'