From the methods scientists use when researching and testing new medicines, to the approach many physicians take when diagnosing and treating diseases, a growing amount of research shows a bias against women in the healthcare system. This bias, whether implicit or not, is leading to suboptimal health outcomes for women across the U.S.
Prior to 1992, clinical trials funded by the U.S. National Institutes for Health were not required to include women subjects. In fact, many clinical trials for potential medications designed to treat female-related issues did not include any female subjects. “While clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health are now required to include female subjects, those funded by private medical companies are exempt. And in lab studies, mostly male animals have been used, meaning many drugs are never evaluated for women at all before coming to market.”1
Research has also shown that many providers underestimate the impact sex has on biological functions, patient symptoms, and health outcomes in general.
St. Louis Women’s Healthcare Group and the FemmeMD Care Team are acutely aware of the challenges for women in the healthcare industry and understand that there are important differences between women and men that impact how health issues are evaluated, diagnosed, and treated.
The SLWHG FemmeMD program is a comprehensive primary care and gynecologic concierge medicine program designed exclusively for women in the St. Louis metro area. The first-of-its-kind program offers women advance medical, clinical and wellness care, an enhanced level of communication with their physicians, and additional healthcare convenience services.
FemmeMD offers patients an alternative, advanced and women’s focused healthcare model that allows the FemmeMD providers to dedicate more time per patient and to design more personalized and comprehensive preventive health and wellness plans for program members.
Provide the most personalized, advanced, and comprehensive women’s healthcare to patients in the St. Louis metro area.