For too long, the health of 51% of the population has been overlooked. Although women have more contact with health care providers – during maternity, for health screenings and due to their roles as carers – they still experience structural barriers that leave them feeling unheard, dismissed and underrepresented.
But could digitalisation help change this? The answer is a resounding yes, if done correctly.
The scene is already set for this to happen. There’s evidence that digital tools can improve women’s health, both for conditions specific to women (eg fertility, reproduction and sexual health) as well as wider health issues, such as the management of chronic conditions (for example, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases). The ‘FemTech’ market (technology specifically aimed at improving women’s health) is booming. The Women’s Health Strategy for England has challenged national and local leaders to improve the health of women. And there’s political appetite for digitalisation – it’s one of the new government’s three big shifts and the Autumn Budget announced a £2 billion investment in NHS technology and digital. All that’s missing is for the NHS and the wider health and care system to make it happen.
So how can digitalisation improve women’s health?
“First, health systems can use digital technology to make it easier for women to access fragmented services. ”
First, health systems can use digital technology to make it easier for women to access fragmented services. For example, new local women’s health hubs are bringing together closely related services that women frequently use across their lifetimes – including contraception, fertility, pre-natal care, menopause, and more. Some of these have been rolled out as virtual hubs as a way to integrate services on a limited budget, and in a way that limits physical barriers to access. This is a model that could be replicated in other integrated care systems, all of which needed to establish a women’s health hub by the end of 2024, as well as other areas of women’s health.
Second, the health system can adopt and embrace technology that empowers women to make informed decisions about their health. When it comes to women’s health, there’s often a vacuum of information and support, either because of a lack of research into women’s health issues (for example, endometriosis) or not enough training for clinicians on women’s health concerns (eg menopause). Digital technologies can help to fill that void. For example, online systems can make information more accessible (like the NHS approved maternity apps), online forums can connect women facing similar health issues, and apps and wearables (for example, fertility and menstruation apps) enable women to collect regular data on their own bodies in a way that a clinician wouldn’t be able to.
But if the health system is going to use digitalisation to improve women’s health, it needs to be done right.
Health care providers and private companies need to create opportunities for women from diverse backgrounds to get involved in the design and implementation of the technologies. Meaningful collaboration with women is central to the development and effective implementation of the technologies. This is to ensure that digital health technologies help provide care that is inclusive and meet women’s particular needs.
“There must also be a recognition of the disparities in digital skills and access to digital services and devices among different populations of women. ”
There must also be a recognition of the disparities in digital skills and access to digital services and devices among different populations of women. These disparities mean that some women may not fully access and utilise available digital technologies to support their health. In this long read from The King’s Fund, we highlight how technology can work to include or exclude people from accessing care, and the importance of providing digital skills training and support for the public. We suggest that health care providers have an opportunity to use the women’s hubs and work with private companies, VCSE and local women’s groups, and to invest and support digital literacy and skills training for women in their local areas.
Integrated care boards have a role to play in this work by ensuring that there is clear leadership and drive to implement the NHSE framework for action on digital inclusion and the national framework for NHS: action on inclusion health. These national frameworks promote infrastructure, skills development and digital inclusion among the diverse populations.
At national level, there must be clear regulation and governance on new technologies that support safe, equitable and accessible use of accredited digital technologies in women's health. The regulations must ensure that digital health technologies meet safety and efficacy requirements, can be integrated into NHS services and comply with GDPR. Women can’t be expected to embrace the use of apps if there are still concerns about the data security of apps that hold sensitive information, such as their period or fertility tracking.
However, these caveats should not be barriers to the health system doing the work. Digitalisation of women’s health is achievable and could transform how women think about their health and how they interact with the health system. As long as digitalisation is inclusive, regulated and embraced by clinicians, it’s the logical next step to improving women’s health.
Finally, it is imperative that clinicians and health providers are open to different ways of working. Increased access to information and knowledge may help women feel empowered to advocate for themselves, especially women from underserved groups. So their relationships with clinicians and health and care services may change as power imbalances are challenged. Women need to know that their GP will respond positively to being presented with data from the technologies, such as from a menopause symptom or period-tracking app.
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