H E A L T H I N S I G H T S
Imagine this scenario : a woman visits the doctor . She ’ s suffering from nausea and vomiting , and occasionally complains of pain in her left shoulder blade . These symptoms are not usually associated with a single disease and are therefore treated separately . The true cause remains unknown – until the woman suffers a heart attack .
However , if the examination had taken into account the fact that heart attacks present themselves differently in different population groups , this life-threatening event could have been prevented .
This is just one example of how the healthcare system has historically been tailored to male standards . Although illnesses don ’ t discriminate by gender in their impact , medical research has failed to consider the differences between men and women in its data collection and analysis . This means that diagnosis and treatment can be inaccurate or ineffective for women , who may have different symptoms or responses to medication than men – leading to serious consequences .
To solve the problem of inequality in clinical trials , various healthcare bodies and research institutes in the UK are working on initiatives which utilise technology and data to bridge the diversity gap . However , there is still a long way to go on a global level , and legislation , as well as increased innovation , continues to be needed for the improvement of the entire population ’ s health – and not just the health of a few .
Legislative change is crucial
The underrepresentation of women in clinical trials – the backbone of medical research – has resulted in a significant disadvantage for this demographic when it comes to developing diagnostic and treatment guidelines .
Gaurica Chacko , VP and Global Life Sciences Head at Wipro , delves into how technology can rectify long-standing gender disparities in clinical trials , saving lives and advancing healthcare inclusivity .
Shockingly , women typically only make up approximately 41 % of participants in the initial phase of these trials despite representing nearly 50 % of the global population . This disparity is even more pronounced when one considers the ethnic makeup of participants – non-white women are particularly disadvantaged by this lack of representation , which can have serious implications for their health outcomes .
THE DIVERSITY GAP :
HOW EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CAN ADDRESS LONG-STANDING INEQUALITY IN CLINICAL TRIALS AND SAVE WOMEN ’ S LIVES
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