Your Surgeon Might Be Pregnant: Addressing Gender in Medical Design

Women’s roles in medicine have been gaining prominence for decades but the products they use have not kept pace. Considering both genders in medical design will create better products with greater universal utility and appeal.

Not long ago, female nurses in crisp white dresses and male doctors in lab coats typified the classic roles of men and women in medicine. But walk into any modern hospital today and you will find a drastically changed picture reflecting the growing diversity of our healthcare workers and their evolving roles. Despite significant cultural advances, however, medical tools and artifacts in use continue to reflect an inherent gender bias. This inconsistency—between who medical products are designed for and who is actually using them—offers opportunities to both address some residual problems in the medical community, as well as improve the efficacy of medical procedures.

Read the full paper here.

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