Women in healthcare leadership roles have a direct impact on patient outcomes, particularly with fellow women — noting often-overlooked symptoms and syndromes. When women succeed in healthcare, everyone benefits.
Eileen Barrett, M.D., M.P.H.
President of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
Women are shaping the present and future of healthcare. Approximately 40% of physicians are female and more than half of all medical students are women. Combined, that is almost 80% of the entire United States’ healthcare workforce, which means women are deeply embedded in healthcare and are driving change that benefits patients.
According to BMC Health Services Research, having more women in healthcare improves patient care. Research shows notable advantages, including that hospitalized patients treated by female physicians are less likely to die, that female physicians are more likely to follow the best evidence when providing care, and that they provide more preventive care that can help patients avoid worse health problems.
A valuable perspective
Women tend to bring leadership behaviors that are advantageous in the workplace. Studies from the business world show that women often lead differently than men in ways that are good for people and organizations — particularly due to emotional intelligence — which is also vital for facilitating the effective teamwork that is needed to provide high-quality patient care. Although it’s not known why women tend to have higher emotional intelligence, it is well known that there are many benefits when leaders have this skill, especially in healthcare.
Healthcare is being shaped by the presence of more women and by leadership ideals women are bringing with them to healthcare. The rising numbers of women in healthcare has coincided with increased attention to the experience of women and girls when they are patients, including paying attention to overlooked symptoms, syndromes, and diseases, such as menopause, endometriosis, gynecologic cancers, migraines, pregnancy-related risks, and mental illness.
Invest in what comes next
Seeing what is known today begs the question: What could have been possible if more women had entered healthcare earlier and we had recognized their impact sooner?
Patients deserve to have healthcare systems that invest in the potential women posses. We cannot undo the years of underinvestment in women’s health, so now is the time to increase attention and resources through funding for research and professional development. We don’t want to look back in five years and wonder why we neglected the very people providing high-quality care and leadership that help women live longer and better.
