Curiosity Camp snapshot: Metluma

The Metluma Curiosity Camp brought together a cross-disciplinary tribe for 2.5 days of collaboration, generating innovative strategies to advance digital solutions for managing menopause and perimenopause in the workplace.

Evidence, expertise and creativity

The Metluma tribe collaborated intensively for 2.5 days, leveraging evidence, expertise, and creativity to shape a forward-thinking response to the recent ‘Issues related to menopause and perimenopause’ Senate Inquiry recommendations and key market challenges.

• Day one centered on setting the context, mapping the landscape, and gathering evidence to align the Digital Health CRC and Metluma strategies with Senate Inquiry recommendations.

• On day two, the team focused on crafting Metluma’s 12-month go-to-market plan for high-potential customers, reframing evidence gaps as opportunities and preparing impactful policy briefs and pitches for key policy influencers.
• Day three saw the tribe consolidate ideas into compelling pitches to drive action and engagement.

The collaborative cross-disciplinary environment of Curiosity Camp has laid the foundation for actionable strategies to advance the Metluma vision.

Watch Curiosity Camp mentor Richard Macliver’s practice pitch on Day 3

Key messages from Richard’s pitch

• Mental health claims have surged, with healthcare workers disproportionately impacted.
• Between 2019 and 2022, mental health claims rose 45%.
• In 2020, the healthcare sector accounted for 29% of all psychological claims but only 15% of total hours worked.
• One in four healthcare workers, 78% of whom were women with a median age of 42, reported high or severe psychological distress at work (audit by Victorian Auditor General’s office 2023).
• Women in perimenopause are 1.5 to 1.8 times more likely to experience severe mental distress (National Institute of Health).

Metluma proposes an 18-month trial with key collaborators in Victoria to support women aged 35–60, aiming to improve quality of life and reduce claims through innovative workplace interventions.