Incorporating the Evia App Into the Clinical Care of Postmenopausal Women With Hot Flashes and Sleep Issues

Clinical trials have demonstrated that hypnotherapy reduces the number of hot flashes by up to 80%, and has a clinically significant impact on improving sleep. Because of its proven effectiveness, hypnotherapy is a recommended treatment by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) with Level 1 evidence. 

Developed by Mindset Health, the Evia app is easy to use and an accessible way of delivering hypnotherapy to women experiencing menopause. It can be downloaded for Apple or Android phones, and the program includes educational readings, audio recordings, and symptom monitoring. 

Evia’s program is based upon an established protocol that has been tested in clinical trials, and developed by myself, Dr. Gary Elkins. It’s an evidence-based, low-risk intervention that stands to benefit many women. 

The program consists of daily 15-minute hypnotherapy sessions that incorporate cooling mental imagery and relaxation techniques. Hypnotherapy is a pleasant experience, and we receive positive feedback that it’s an opportunity to enjoy a pocket of downtime each day for our users. 

Guiding patients through Evia

There is already evidence that incorporating apps into clinical care is becoming more common. However, focusing on growing user awareness that apps like Evia are available to be used in clinical care settings is a critical first step. And healthcare providers play an important role in helping disseminate effective treatments like Evia to those who need them.

Once patients are aware of Evia, my protocol for guiding patients through the program includes several key steps:

1. Education about hot flashes

Evia provides daily psychoeducation readings for all participants to help them understand why hot flashes and other symptoms are occurring, and, more importantly, what they can do to reduce their occurrence and severity. 

 2. Understanding medical hypnosis and hypnotherapy 

 Evia provides all users with extensive resources on menopause and hypnotherapy, such as this story about menopause and the mind-body connection, to grow their understanding of how the program can work for them. 

 3. Information about the efficacy of hypnotherapy 

We encourage women experiencing menopause to speak with their doctor to understand how hypnotherapy connects to physical symptoms like hot flashes.

4. Begin using the Evia app

Once a woman has developed a general understanding of how Evia can support her symptoms, they can begin the five-week program. Take the time to walk your patient through the app so they understand its functionality and daily commitment. Keep in mind, as a healthcare practitioner, you can pass along a 15% discount to your patients for the app. 

5. Recording hot flashes and sleep symptoms

Evia users are strongly encouraged to keep track of their symptoms like hot flashes or insomnia. The app allows them to self-monitor their symptoms throughout the five weeks.

6. Daily use of hypnotherapy audio recordings

For the best results, women should listen to Evia’s hypnotherapy recordings every day throughout the program. Each session lasts for around 15 minutes.

7. Encouraging self-hypnosis

We encourage users to practice self-hypnosis at home and to remain confident they will achieve a reduction in hot flashes. Evia’s psychoeducation and Mindset Health’s additional resources take users through self-hypnosis techniques and practices.  

 8. Problem-solving

 If an Evia user is encountering any setbacks to her progress, we encourage them to reach out to their practitioner or Mindset Health for support and guidance. For example, if a woman is struggling to commit to listening to her daily hypnotherapy session at a particular time, she may need help problem-solving how she can make Evia work with her schedule.

 9. Individualizing practice of hypnotherapy sessions

 Sometimes users develop a particular preference for certain visualizations within the program. They are encouraged to return to the sessions they find resonate with them personally and to individualize the Evia program to their liking.

 10. Continuing practice and maintenance 

When Evia users complete the five-week program, they are encouraged to continue with the hypnotherapy to support symptom improvements in the long term.

How I put this protocol into practice can be read about further in Filling the Gap in Clinical Care: A Protocol For Incorporating a Digital App in Clinical Management of Hot Flashes and Menopausal Symptoms.

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