Photo Credit: Salim Hanzaz

 The Soliant Health 2024 State of Healthcare Report reveals serious challenges in women’s healthcare, including misdiagnosis and access issues.

The Soliant Health 2024 State of Healthcare Report, based on an independent survey of more than 2,000 US adults who received healthcare services in the last 2 years and an internal survey of over 2,000 physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and administrators in the Soliant network, highlighted serious issues women face in misdiagnosis, access, and quality of care, while also identifying healthcare “safe havens” for women.

Key insights included:

• 66% of women reported receiving a misdiagnosis in the last 2 years, and 63.5% identified “receiving a misdiagnosis” as a concern when receiving care in 2024.
• Of patients who selected “receiving unsatisfactory or poor-quality care” as a concern for 2024, 65.3% were women.
• Women healthcare professionals reported worsening job burnout or mental health as the largest issue they’re facing working in healthcare.

Additionally, a survey conducted by Gallup for Hologic involving 4,001 women revealed a significant “Screening Action Gap” among US women. Despite recognizing the importance of health screenings, two in five women, or 43%, skip or delay them, posing risks for preventable health issues. This gap is particularly concerning for screenings for certain cancers, which collectively result in over 70,000 deaths among US women annually.

Women with Lung Cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States and around the world. A growing body of evidence shows that biological sex impacts carcinogenesis and the immune system response to lung cancer.

Factors like occupational exposure and endogenous and exogenous hormones explain part of the sex disparities in lung cancer incidence and prognosis. Researchers also have observed sex differences in both the tolerability treatment and response to therapy.

Finally, sex differences in screening protocols may influence the presentation and stage at which lung cancer is diagnosed in women, further impacting outcomes.

Continuing to examine the experiences and perceptions of patients and clinicians on the frontlines will help identify specific areas where improvements in women’s healthcare are most needed and offer insights into potential solutions for closing the gender healthcare gap.