Health is not gender-neutral – can e-health be?
During Arendalsuka we hosted a panel discussion on gender differences in health, and how the digitalization of healthcare services can contribute to more equitable solutions.
Project leader Tone M. Norekvål opened the event together with eCardiacRehab work package leaders Eva Gerdts and Leonora Onarheim Bergsjø. They presented examples from cardiovascular health, digital healthcare services, and remote digital follow-up, with a particular focus on ethical issues.
The panel also included Ellen Rønning-Arnesen, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Care Services, Helén Botnevik, First Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association, and Magne Wang Fredriksen, Secretary General of LHL.
The discussion was based on NOU 2023:5 “The Great Difference”, in which the Women’s Health Commission pointed out how women still face systematic disparities in diagnosis and treatment. The panel debated what must be done to ensure that digitalization does not reinforce these differences, but instead contributes to better solutions for everyone.
Several concrete proposals emerged during the conversation on how to correct existing inequalities:
· Gender differences in development, symptoms, and treatment of heart disease must be included in the medical school curriculum.
· To ensure broader access to digital rehabilitation, reimbursement schemes for digital healthcare services should be improved.
· The proposals in NOU 2023:5 must be systematically followed up through clear requirements for healthcare providers.
In addition, preventive measures that people can take themselves were highlighted:
· Women should measure their blood pressure at least once a year and treat high blood pressure.
· Both women and men should learn to recognize the symptoms of myocardial infarction, which often present differently in women, and not delay calling 113 if they experience them.
"It’s time to take women’s heart health seriously," was one of the clear messages from the conversation.
The event was organized by the Centre for e-Health at the University of Agder, and took place in the UiA tent. It was arranged in collaboration with the University of Bergen, Østfold University College, the Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association, the
Norwegian Council for Digital Ethics, LHL, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and Haukeland University Hospital.