Breaking Barriers: How MedOrion Supports Women’s Health Decisions
From biological differences to social expectations, women encounter various barriers that impact their health decisions. The statistics tell an alarming story, and we must all pay attention. This International Women’s Month, we’re taking a closer look at these unique challenges and examining how MedOrion’s technology can help uncover and bridge the gaps.
A Health of Her Own: Women’s Health Isn’t the Same as Men’s
The road to gender equality begins with acknowledging and addressing relevant differences. Women often experience different symptoms from men, and their bodies respond differently to treatments. Some health conditions affect women more often. Other common conditions, like heart attacks, present different symptoms in women, who experience shortness of breath more than men. Women also metabolize certain medications differently, which might stem from underrepresentation in clinical trials, where two-thirds of participants are typically male.
This has real consequences. When treatments and medical guidelines are designed around male physiology, women are 20-30% more likely to receive incorrect diagnoses, inadequate pain management, and ineffective treatments. Over time, this has led to understandable mistrust in the healthcare system that directly affects women’s willingness to seek care and follow medical recommendations.
While MedOrion’s technology can’t change this reality, we can help health plans identify and understand the trust barrier and send effective interventions that validate and acknowledge it, while stressing the importance of proactive care.
The Caregiver Effect: How Women Impact Health Decisions
Women are often the primary caregivers in their families, making health decisions for their children, spouses, and even extended family members. Studies show that women typically handle around 80% of the household’s health decisions. This means that when women are well-informed, entire households benefit. Whether it’s scheduling appointments, managing prescriptions, or reminding family members to follow protocol, women play a crucial role in shaping the health choices of those around them.
The lead caregiver role also puts more pressure on women. Logistic barriers, like distance from pharmacies or lack of transportation, might hit women the hardest.
In addition and perhaps as a result, women tend to put their own health last. In fact, they are 35% more likely to skip an appointment or delay needed medical care and three times more likely to be non-adherent. Whether it’s work, family obligations, or the sheer mental load of managing a household, their well-being falls to the bottom of the priority list.
MedOrion helps spot members impacted by logistic barriers utilizing its EBR platform, issuing tailored messaging with valuable information on transportation and delivery solutions. We can also remind women experiencing relevant barriers of how prioritizing their health benefits those around them. By acknowledging their unique mindset and designing messaging accordingly, MedOrion helps women feel empowered rather than guilty about taking care of themselves.
Not Hysterical: Addressing Mistrust and Inequality
In addition to the underrepresentation issues we’ve mentioned, medical mistrust among women is rooted in their personal history and lived experiences, as studies show that women are more likely to be dismissed by doctors.
This distrust leads to lower adherence, skipped preventive screenings, and reduced engagement with providers. MedOrion’s platform enables health plans to know which members’ health decisions are impacted by this lack of trust, and integrate validation into every aspect of their health messaging instead of simply instructing them on what to do. When members feel heard and understood, they are more likely to collaborate.
This International Women’s Month, let’s move beyond awareness and take real action. Women’s health isn’t a niche issue but a critical aspect of public health, and promoting it yields benefits far greater than Star Ratings results. When we support women in making informed health decisions, we promote entire communities.