A heartfelt mission to improve women’s healthcare
25 September 2024
By Elizabeth Munn
Elsevier's Global Medical Education team works on Complete HeartX, designed for Apple Vision Pro.
At Elsevier, we’re using innovative technology for health education to make sure women’s unique issues are considered in clinical practice
Every 40 seconds opens in new tab/window, someone dies from a heart attack in the US. Moreover, it is as much a devastating disease for women as it is for men, except women are much more likely to be misdiagnosed opens in new tab/window.
Women can of course present with classic symptoms such as crushing chest pain, but they are much more likely to also present with atypical symptoms. Transient discomfort at rest or even sleep or vague symptoms are often mistaken as anxiety or indigestion.
At Elsevier, we are not just witnesses to this gap in healthcare — we believe we can be catalysts for change. We are prioritizing women’s healthcare across our range of products and services.
Take Complete Anatomy opens in new tab/window — our digital atlas of the human body and the first product of its kind to fully realize female anatomy. Anatomical content has been predominantly male-focused with male models and illustrations, which sets a bias in the early career of medical students. Giving students a choice to study anatomy with a complete female model is part of the paradigm shift to help improve women’s healthcare outcomes.
With Complete HeartX opens in new tab/window — which uses the groundbreaking medium of mixed reality — we can enhance health literacy for the public by demystifying the clinical experience and placing the female body front and center.
“I’m proud to be part of a process that seeks to reshape the future of women’s healthcare.”
EM
Elizabeth Munn
Managing Director, Global Medical Education at Elsevier
Every day, there are misdiagnoses and difficulty in recognizing female-specific presentations of heart disease. Many of us have personal connections to this cause, with loved ones facing the challenges within the healthcare system, battling the disease as well as biases embedded throughout the system. That is why my colleagues and I not only see this as a professional endeavor but as a heartfelt mission to bring about positive change.
I’m proud to be part of a process that seeks to reshape the future of women’s healthcare. Together with clinicians and educators worldwide, we can empower the next generation of healthcare professionals and the public, ensuring that no woman’s health concern goes unnoticed.
Contributor
EM