Women's health care rides an Internet wave
CMAJ 2000;162:686
As the saying goes, "Vive la différence!" And la différence is rapidly becoming apparent on the Internet. As federal Health Minister Allan Rock commented last March, "the need to enhance the sensitivity of the health system to women's health issues has gained increasing recognition." Today, much of the effort to balance the gender equation in health information is taking place on the 'Net.
Health Canada's Women's Health Strategy, which Rock unveiled last year (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/datapcb/datawhb/womenstrat.htm), seeks to address biases in medical research and practice. The Canadian Women's Health Network (www.cwhn.ca), which is supported by that "strategy," offers a range of online resources, with everything from illness and chronic pain to disabilities and disease prevention being covered. The site also posts research from the 5 Centres of Excellence for Women's Health (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/datapcb/datawhb/cewheng.htm) and elsewhere.
Government departments are not the only ones to catch the women's health wave, because plenty of nonprofit and commercial sites now specialize in this area. The Women's Health Clinic in Winnipeg (www.pangea.ca/whc/) offers a "holistic approach and emphasizes prevention, education and action." It has a range of services for women of all ages. Meanwhile, Sympatico's HealthyWay site (sympatico.healthcentral.ca) has a huge array of medical information.
Most of this is aimed at the public, but some may be of use to clinicians. The site includes disease-specific information and health "centres," one of which focuses on women. It not only covers topics of interest to women but also offers current health news items from Canadian Press and Reuters.
Moving beyond Canada's borders, the Estronaut site (www.estronaut.com) presents itself as a forum for women's health. Dr. Karen Sarpolis, one of the principals behind this commercial venture, hosts "Ask A Women's Health Doctor," which promises to deliver timely responses to emailed queries.
The Women's Health Interactive Web site (www.womens-health.com) specializes in the design, development and delivery of health education for women through the use of interactive digital technologies. It offers an extensive selection of subject matter divided into broad "health centres." It also includes decision-making trees to help people identify problems and find solutions. — Michael OReilly, mike@oreilly.net
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