Advancing Women's Health

Advancing Women's Health is a group on Medpedia which can be found here: http://www.medpedia.com/groups/444

Advancing Women's Health

About Advancing Women's Health

The relationship between sex, gender and health gained acceptance as a medical discipline following publication of ‘Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter? By the Institute of Medicine (Wizemann and Pardue 2001). The IOM report highlighted the ways in which genetic and hormonal factors as well as those associated with reproductive differences influence the vulnerability of men and women to various diseases. Even so, this increasingly sophisticated conceptualization of health in the context of both sex and gender has not been fully integrated into medical practice nor standardized in our medical curriculum.

Excellent curricula, teaching materials, published articles, presentations, and other clinical resources that feature Women’s Health and Medical Education Content exist but finding it can be challenging. To promote a broader application of and sensitivity to sex and gender differences in women’s care, Advancing Women’s Health was created at Medpedia to fill this void. This Medpedia group has formed as a comprehensive, interactive, Digital Resource Library for Sex and Gender specific Women’s Health resources. The aim of Advancing Women’s Heath is to institutionalize sex and gender specific care as a valid and necessary content area and practice approach across academic medicine and in clinical practice.

This universally accessible site was established so educational materials can be assimilated and discussed. Advancing Women's Health offers curricula and teaching tools focused on sex- and gender-specific women’s health for clinicians, medical faculty, medical students and health practitioners. Created by members of leading women's health organizations and the largest women physician's organization in the U.S., Advancing Women’s Health is aimed at improving women's health by recognizing and applying evidence-based medicine to the specific issues, concerns, and medical responses that affect women.

Physicians, faculty, health organizations, and health professionals interested in Advancing Women's Health are encouraged to use the free teaching tools, curricular material, academic resources, clinical case studies and contribute original content. Medical and health professionals and students are invited join this group, by visiting: http://www.medpedia.com/sign-up/444

The American College of Women’s Health Physicians (ACWHP) and the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) comprise the Women’s Health Working Group, providing grants to launch this Resource Library.

Through Advancing Women’s Health, teaching tools and curricular materials will be readily available and ultimately more widely used by medical professionals across the country.

What Does Advancing Women's Health Mean for You?

Become an Active Participant

• We invite women’s health specialists and medical educators to contribute any existing teaching tools and curricular materials to the website, or to produce author original material based on resources found on the site that are tailored to your participate institution, setting, venue, then share it with others through this site.

• Start a discussion about a new procedure, a challenging patient, a medical quandary or a philosophical concern, or add comments to an existing discussion

• Introduce the site to colleagues and encourage them to become a member of Advancing Women’s Health. Invite your students to join and participate.

Author Original Material

• We invite you to produce new women’s health curricular material that will become for you a valuable professional citation listing and ensure that the next generation of physicians is trained in women’s health; we will be pleased to showcase your efforts at Advancing Women’s Health.

• Create original content on the medical sections of Medpedia, including: Condition Management; Q &A; and Media & News Analysis.

Advancing Women's Health (http://www.medpedia.com/groups/444)

• You may also contact Jodi Godfrey, site coordinator for Advancing Women’s Health, to let her know the level and extent of your interest in becoming involved.

• We welcome your feedback and hope to have you join us in improving women’s health through better informed medical care.

• We NEED Case Studies that Demonstrate Sex or Gender specific assessment , diagnosis or management strategies

About the American Medical Women's Association

The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) is an organization of women physicians, medical students and other persons dedicated to serving as the unique voice for women's health and the advancement of women in medicine. The organization was founded by Dr. Bertha VanHoosen in 1915 in Chicago, at a time when women physicians were an under-represented minority. As women in medicine increase in numbers, new problems and issues arise that were not anticipated. AMWA has been addressing these issues for 95 years.

About the American College of Women's Health Physicians

The American College of Women's Health Physicians (ACWHP) is an interdisciplinary organization of women's health physicians committed to advancing women-centered health care. ACWHP develops leading-edge models of sex- and gender-specific medical education, research, and clinical practice. ACWHP's seven guiding principles are: activism, diversity, complexity, women-centered, the respectful use and therapeutic use of power, and individual and organizational well-being.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, kindly contact: Jodi Godfrey, MS, RD, Managing Editor and Site Coordinator for Advancing Women’s Health @ Medpedia.com