The number of female doctors in cardiology nearly doubled in the last decade, and male and female cardiologists both report a high level of job satisfaction, according to findings from a 10-year follow-up survey published in the December 16/23, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Still, women account for less than 20 percent of all cardiologists, despite nearly equal numbers of men and women graduating from medical schools. Moreover, two-thirds of women continue to report discrimination, mostly due to competing demands of parenting and family responsibilities.
"Women in cardiology continue to face the same institutional and personal roadblocks as those in other areas of medicine and science," says Athena Poppas, M.D., F.A.C.C., associate professor of medicine, Brown University Medical School, RI. "Women don't choose to specialize as much as their male counterparts for a variety of reasons, including the intensity and length of training - at least six years for cardiology - during peak childbearing years."
As more and more Americans live with chronic heart conditions, the need to ensure a stable and competent cardiology workforce, including the recruitment of women, has become increasingly urgent.
"One-third of Americans will have cardiovascular disease, so we must attract the best and the brightest - and that includes women - to keep up with demand and provide the highest level of patient care and research to help advance the field," says Dr. Poppas, who also serves as chair of the American College of Cardiology's Women in Cardiology Council, which commissioned the study. "We need to find ways to reduce discrimination, establish greater flexibility in work hours, and expand opportunities for mentorship to better meet the needs of women and men as they plan their careers in cardiology."
The need for greater flexibility is no longer gender-specific; both male and female doctors are striving for a better work-life balance. In fact, a similar proportion of male and female cardiologists are working less than full-time (80% vs 82%). This coincides with an overall trend toward more lifestyle-friendly areas of medicine, such as emergency departments, anesthesiology and radiology, which give doctors more control over their hours.
"The perception is that cardiology is more demanding, and the hours less easy to control than other areas of medicine. Cardiology involves life-threatening emergencies, so you're not always sure you'll be home for dinner or make it to the school play," she says. "But it's incredibly rewarding and it shows. Cardiologists of both genders love what they do - nine out of 10 say they are moderately to highly satisfied."
According to the survey, women are also less likely than men to pursue interventional cardiology due, in part, to concerns about radiation exposure and pregnancy risks. One in four women reported selecting tracks to reduce their radiation risk. Female cardiologists are also more likely to have interruptions in their training or practice and, similar to other demanding professions such as law and business, they are much less likely to be married or have children than their male colleagues.
The current survey of 1,110 participants, a follow up to the 1996 survey, aims to better understand the career and lifestyle needs of male and female cardiologists.
This study is part of larger efforts by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) to take a critical look at why women remain under-represented in cardiology, and play a leadership role in helping to attract and retain young female medical students to the field through training, leadership and professional development.
"We're making progress, but we still have a long way to go to provide better opportunities and support for women cardiologists, and to be able to recruit more to the field," said W. Douglas Weaver, M.D., ACC's president. "The College is committed to spearheading efforts to find creative solutions to meet the needs of our female colleges."
Dr. Poppas reports no conflicts of interest.
The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is a 36,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular research. The ACC provides professional education and operates national registries for the measurement and improvement of quality care. More information about the association is available online at acc/.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these news reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians, the media, the public and other interested parties. However, statements or opinions expressed in these reports reflect the view of the author(s) and do not represent official policy of the ACC unless stated so.
Source: Amanda Jekowsky
American College of Cardiology
вторник, 25 октября 2011 г.
вторник, 18 октября 2011 г.
GSK HPV Vaccine Produces Stronger Immune Response In Girls Ages 10 - 14 Than In Older Women
GlaxoSmithKline's experimental human papillomavirus vaccine, Cervarix, produces a stronger immune response in girls ages 10 to 14 than in girls and women ages 15 to 25, according to results of a Phase III clinical trial announced by the company on Saturday, Reuters reports (Pierson, Reuters, 12/17). Cervarix in early clinical trials was 100% effective in preventing HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/6). In the Phase III trial, which was conducted in Europe and Russia, 158 girls ages 10 to 14 and 458 girls and women ages 15 to 25 were given three doses of Cervarix over a six-month period. At the end of the trial, "concentrations of antibodies to the virus were twice as high in the bloodstreams of the young girls," Gary Dubin, a senior research official at GSK and lead author of the study, said (Reuters, 12/17). According to Dow Jones, the stronger immune response in girls ages 10 to 14 indicates that vaccinating at a younger age might provide a "longer duration of protection" from HPV (Dow Jones, 12/17). "Vaccination of pre-teen/adolescent girls against cancer-causing HPV before onset of sexual activity will be an important part of the overall strategy for cervical cancer prevention," Anna-Barbara Moscicki, a pediatrics professor at the University of California-San Francisco, said (AFP/Yahoo! News, 12/17). GSK, which plans to submit an application for approval of Cervarix in Europe and elsewhere in 2006, said it plans to recommend the vaccine for girls as young as age 10. Merck earlier this month filed for priority FDA review of its experimental HPV vaccine Gardasil, which also has been found to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/6).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Cervarix [Human Papillomavirus Bivalent; Gardasil.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Cervarix [Human Papillomavirus Bivalent; Gardasil.
вторник, 11 октября 2011 г.
International Alliance Launched To Support Country-Led Progress In Reproductive, Maternal And Newborn Health
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Australia Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, and Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a five-year public/private global alliance to contribute to the goal of reducing the unmet need for family planning by 100 million women, expand skilled birth attendance and facility-based deliveries, and increase the numbers of women and newborns receiving quality post-natal care by 2015. The Alliance includes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Exemplifying the international focus on donor harmonization and country ownership of development, the Alliance will closely coordinate the efforts of partners to support country strategies to scale-up proven, high-impact interventions and to explore and adapt innovations that can advance health outcomes. Alliance partners will coordinate at both the headquarters- and country-levels, seeking to leverage and complement health investments to achieve greater impact in less time. Countries will benefit from the combined technical and programming expertise of key donors in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
The Alliance will specifically address aspects of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4, Reduce Child Mortality, and 5, Improve Maternal Health, where progress has been especially slow. Currently, it is estimated that more than 200 million women want to use contraceptives but don't have access. In addition, only half of the 123 million women who give birth each year receive the antenatal, delivery and postnatal, and newborn care they need; and progress in reducing deaths has been slower for newborn deaths than for deaths among children ages one month to five years.
"Family planning plays a crucial role in improving the health of women and their children throughout the world." said USAID Administrator Raj Shah. "By bringing the comparative advantages of country partners and donors through this Alliance, we will bolster health outcomes in countries striving to improve the lives and health of its women, girls, and newborns."
"It is an international scandal that more than 350,000 women die in the developing world every year from complications in pregnancy or child birth that can be easily prevented," said Andrew Mitchell the UK's International Development Secretary. "This groundbreaking alliance is an opportunity to support national governments to deliver plans that will make a difference to millions of families in poor countries." "Australia is proud to be a founding member of the Alliance," said Kevin Rudd, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. "Collectively we need to support country leadership, and make the investment case for more resources in return for better results. Through the Alliance we will further extend the reach and impact of our aid to ensure better health outcomes for the poorest and most vulnerable women and children."
"If we invest in the health of women and children, we ensure that families, communities, and nations thrive," said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "This alliance is an exciting opportunity for the foundation, and we look forward to greater collaboration in supporting policies and programs that will improve the health of millions of women and children."
The Alliance will focus on selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to strengthen both health systems and access to primary and community health care in ways that better serve women and adolescents, that develop and adapt new technologies and innovations to improve health outcomes, and that bring coordinated support to country strategies for family planning, maternal, and neonatal health.
The Alliance supports the UN Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women and Children's Health, announced ahead of the MDG Summit in New York September 22.
Source:
USAID
Exemplifying the international focus on donor harmonization and country ownership of development, the Alliance will closely coordinate the efforts of partners to support country strategies to scale-up proven, high-impact interventions and to explore and adapt innovations that can advance health outcomes. Alliance partners will coordinate at both the headquarters- and country-levels, seeking to leverage and complement health investments to achieve greater impact in less time. Countries will benefit from the combined technical and programming expertise of key donors in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
The Alliance will specifically address aspects of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4, Reduce Child Mortality, and 5, Improve Maternal Health, where progress has been especially slow. Currently, it is estimated that more than 200 million women want to use contraceptives but don't have access. In addition, only half of the 123 million women who give birth each year receive the antenatal, delivery and postnatal, and newborn care they need; and progress in reducing deaths has been slower for newborn deaths than for deaths among children ages one month to five years.
"Family planning plays a crucial role in improving the health of women and their children throughout the world." said USAID Administrator Raj Shah. "By bringing the comparative advantages of country partners and donors through this Alliance, we will bolster health outcomes in countries striving to improve the lives and health of its women, girls, and newborns."
"It is an international scandal that more than 350,000 women die in the developing world every year from complications in pregnancy or child birth that can be easily prevented," said Andrew Mitchell the UK's International Development Secretary. "This groundbreaking alliance is an opportunity to support national governments to deliver plans that will make a difference to millions of families in poor countries." "Australia is proud to be a founding member of the Alliance," said Kevin Rudd, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. "Collectively we need to support country leadership, and make the investment case for more resources in return for better results. Through the Alliance we will further extend the reach and impact of our aid to ensure better health outcomes for the poorest and most vulnerable women and children."
"If we invest in the health of women and children, we ensure that families, communities, and nations thrive," said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "This alliance is an exciting opportunity for the foundation, and we look forward to greater collaboration in supporting policies and programs that will improve the health of millions of women and children."
The Alliance will focus on selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to strengthen both health systems and access to primary and community health care in ways that better serve women and adolescents, that develop and adapt new technologies and innovations to improve health outcomes, and that bring coordinated support to country strategies for family planning, maternal, and neonatal health.
The Alliance supports the UN Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women and Children's Health, announced ahead of the MDG Summit in New York September 22.
Source:
USAID
вторник, 4 октября 2011 г.
Women Fear Being Stereotyped By Male Service Providers
Women prefer female service providers in situations where they might fall prey to stereotypes about their math and science abilities, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
"One of the most widely held stereotypes in North America is that women's competence and aptitude in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) domains is less than men's," write authors Kyoungmi Lee (Yonsei University, Korea), Hakkyun Kim (Concordia University, Canada), and Kathleen Vohs (University of Minnesota).
In their study, the authors demonstrate that stereotypes about women's STEM abilities shape women's consumer behavior. In particular, women shun situations in which they fear they will be the brunt of the stereotype, especially those that involve male service providers in transactions that call for STEM abilities.
For example, when women want advice on investments or on buying a car they may wonder if they will receive unfair treatment or become an easy target for manipulation. The authors demonstrated that female consumers who are reminded of their gender identity expressed lower intentions to purchase service from firms that advertised themselves with male service providers. This pattern occurred for a tax firm that touted its service with male investment advisors and also in automobile repair and purchases.
"When the threat of being stereotyped is in the air, consumers become anxious when they contemplate transacting with outgroup vs. ingroup service providers if they are reminded of the negative gender stereotype in the STEM domains," the authors write. "A rise in consumer anxiety, in turn, is the very driving force behind women's disinterest in transacting with male service providers or salespersons."
The research also led to an interesting way to reduce the anxiety related to the stereotype: vanilla scent. "In a vanilla-scented environment, the effect of possibly being stereotyped seemingly does not alter female consumers' intentions to transact with firms, even when the firms promoted themselves using male salespersons," the authors write.
Notes:
Kyoungmi Lee, Hakkyun Kim, and Kathleen Vohs. "Stereotypes Threat in the Marketplace: Consumer Anxiety and Purchase Intentions." Journal of Consumer Research: August 2011. To be published online soon.
Source:
Mary-Ann Twist
University of Chicago Press Journals
"One of the most widely held stereotypes in North America is that women's competence and aptitude in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) domains is less than men's," write authors Kyoungmi Lee (Yonsei University, Korea), Hakkyun Kim (Concordia University, Canada), and Kathleen Vohs (University of Minnesota).
In their study, the authors demonstrate that stereotypes about women's STEM abilities shape women's consumer behavior. In particular, women shun situations in which they fear they will be the brunt of the stereotype, especially those that involve male service providers in transactions that call for STEM abilities.
For example, when women want advice on investments or on buying a car they may wonder if they will receive unfair treatment or become an easy target for manipulation. The authors demonstrated that female consumers who are reminded of their gender identity expressed lower intentions to purchase service from firms that advertised themselves with male service providers. This pattern occurred for a tax firm that touted its service with male investment advisors and also in automobile repair and purchases.
"When the threat of being stereotyped is in the air, consumers become anxious when they contemplate transacting with outgroup vs. ingroup service providers if they are reminded of the negative gender stereotype in the STEM domains," the authors write. "A rise in consumer anxiety, in turn, is the very driving force behind women's disinterest in transacting with male service providers or salespersons."
The research also led to an interesting way to reduce the anxiety related to the stereotype: vanilla scent. "In a vanilla-scented environment, the effect of possibly being stereotyped seemingly does not alter female consumers' intentions to transact with firms, even when the firms promoted themselves using male salespersons," the authors write.
Notes:
Kyoungmi Lee, Hakkyun Kim, and Kathleen Vohs. "Stereotypes Threat in the Marketplace: Consumer Anxiety and Purchase Intentions." Journal of Consumer Research: August 2011. To be published online soon.
Source:
Mary-Ann Twist
University of Chicago Press Journals
Подписаться на:
Комментарии (Atom)