Advances in Women’s Health

The U.S. has experienced significant advances in healthcare over the past few years. Advances in women’s health have fortunately been a part of this growth. Here are some advancements and new developments impacting women’s health today.

• An Expansion in Telehealth for Women’s Healthcare. As telehealth services expanded over the COVID-19 pandemic, the country accelerated the adoption of these services. The trend is ongoing in 2024, with women having access to remote visits, consultations, virtual care, and digital health tools available to manage women’s specific healthcare needs¹. One such platform is Iron Health². This virtual platform is more than a telehealth platform, it is a virtual tool specific to ob/gyn care, and connects patients to their providers, connecting and closing care gaps between gyn services and primary care, behavioral health, chronic disease management, and nutrition. Yes, this matters, because women’s bodies require care that factors in the whole health picture.
• Personalized Medicine and Genomics. Genomic research is advancing rapidly, leading to a better understanding of genetic factors impacting women’s health. Breast cancer and ovarian cancer specifically have seen advancements in more personalized treatments and targeted therapies for patients, often leveraging a patient’s own genetic information.³ For example, gene therapy is an attractive therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer. This new therapeutic area can replace, inactivate, or induce genes in the patient’s cells. It is shown to correct genetic defects, kill tumor cells, increase immunogenicity, and assist in molecular imaging.⁴
• Women’s Mental Health. Women experience unique mental health needs, requiring specialized treatment approaches. Integrating mental health services into primary care is one example of recognizing and addressing this need. New online tools that support women’s mental health challenges such as stress and overwhelm, hormonal changes, and gender-related social pressures⁵ include mindfulness apps like Calm⁶ and Headspace⁷; virtual yoga resources, and nutrition applications.
• Personalized Hormone Therapy & Holistic Approaches. Hormones are a critical element in managing quality of life. Mood swings, energy levels, mental health management, and weight management are all impacted by a person’s hormone levels. Personalized Hormone Therapy is an approach to individualize hormone therapy for patients, helping to minimize side effects and drive maximum effectiveness. Advances in hormone testing and bio-similar hormone replacement therapies are also providing better insight for women to identify imbalances and provide personalized treatment plans including specific nutritional interventions and stress reduction therapies to improve overall wellness.⁸
• Caregiver support. Women are frequently the backbone of family caregiving, including care for extended family, neighbors, friends, and community members. In addition to adding to the stress and anxiety burden on women, caregiving often finds women putting their health second to that of others. CaringBridge⁹ and Caring Village¹⁰ are two apps of many available for caregivers, to share the burden of caregiving, stay organized, and keep track of medications, appointments, and other family members.

These focus areas in women’s health illustrate the current efforts and the need for continued improvement in the quality of care for women in today’s health system. The advancement of the well-being of women overall, as an ongoing focal point of improvements in care, is raising the bar across all of healthcare. Everyone is better off for it.

 

References:

¹ “The Impact of Telehealth on Women’s Healthcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic” by Smith, A.C. et al. (2021). Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(3), e21611. https://www.jmir.org/2021/3/e21611/

² Patients. (2024). Ironhealth.io. https://www.ironhealth.io/patients

³ “Personalized Medicine in Women’s Health: Opportunities and Challenges” by Mayer, E.L. et al. (2021). Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 18(9), 585-599. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41571-021-00495-6

⁴ Jin Sung Son, Chow, R., Kim, H., Lieu, T., Xiao, M., Kim, S., Matuszewska, K., Pereira, M., David Le Nguyen, & Petrik, J. (2023). Liposomal delivery of gene therapy for ovarian cancer: a systematic review. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-023-01125-2

‌^{5, 8}  Women’s Health Trends to Watch in 2024: North Atlanta Ob/Gyn: Board Certified Obstetrics & Gynecologist. (2024). Naobgyn.com. https://www.naobgyn.com/blog/womens-health-trends-to-watch-in-2024

‌⁶ Experience Calm. (2024). @Calm. https://www.calm.com/

⁷ Meditation and Sleep Made Simple – Headspace. (2024). Headspace. https://www.headspace.com/

‌⁹ CaringBridge. (2024). Caringbridge.org. https://www.caringbridge.org/

¹⁰ Caregiver Support – Free Resources and Help for Seniors. (2024, April 2). Caring Village. https://caringvillage.com/

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