Quality and Equitable Health Care Gaps for Women
Key result
Gendered care pathways and dedicated research agendas are essential for equitable cardiovascular care in women.
Why the study?
Health care quality and equity for women, including minority subgroups, require synthesis and strategic planning to improve cardiovascular outcomes.
Key Points
- Identify and evaluate systemic disparities and quality gaps in health care services provided to women across clinical disciplines.
- Synthesis of clinical literature and health services data evaluating gender-based disparities in treatment and outcomes.
- Evaluation of structural, diagnostic, and therapeutic inequities affecting quality of care.
- Persistent inequities exist in timely diagnosis, standard-of-care interventions, and pain management for female patients.
- Targeted health policy interventions and sex-stratified clinical guidelines are necessary to close quality-of-care deficits.
Structured PICO
P
Population
Women at risk for or living with cardiovascular disease, including minority population subgroups
Ask about this paper
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“So much of the research on sex-related differences is not funded research. There's no focus on sex-related hypotheses, in prioritization or ascribing a certain amount of funds to examine sex-related differences, [and also] racial and ethnic differences among women. We have to create a culture in cardiovascular medicine that values that reporting.”
“This [paper] is really a call to action to work through grassroots efforts to bring awareness to so many of these issues affecting women's access to care... and to work toward government funding that may help address the issues.”
Implication
Highlights the necessity of developing women-specific care pathways and research agendas to achieve equitable cardiovascular health outcomes.
Abstract
The present review synthesizes evidence and discusses issues related to health care quality and equity for women, including minority population subgroups. The principle of "sameness" or women and men receiving equitable, high-quality care is a near-term target, but optimal population health cannot be achieved without consideration of the unique, gendered structural determinants of health and the development of unique care pathways optimized for women. The aim of this review is to promote enhanced awareness, develop critical thinking in sex and gender science, and identify strategic pathways to improve the cardiovascular health of women. Delineation of the components of high-quality health care, including a women-specific research agenda, remains a vital part of strategic planning to improve the lives of women at risk for or living with cardiovascular disease.
Discussion
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Cite This Study
Shaw et al. (2017) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease in women. This review emphasizes the necessity of developing unique, gendered care pathways and a women-specific research agenda to achieve equitable, high-quality cardiovascular health care for women.