Becker's Hospital Review

51 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 'Femtech' to address women's health expected to grow to $1B industry By Hannah Mitchell W omen represent half of the global population, but only a fraction of technology is geared toward wom- en. Growth in "femtech" may finally change that, according to an April 7 report by e New York Times. Femtech is technology and soware address- ing women's biological needs. e term was first coined by Ida Tin, the founder of Clue, a period and ovulation tracking app established in 2013. In 2019, the femtech industry generated $820.6 million in global revenue and received $592 million in venture capital investment. Accord- ing to a March 2020 report by Frost & Sullivan, a research and strategy firm, revenue from fem- tech is expected to reach $1.1 billion by 2024. "e market potential is huge," said Michelle Tempest, MD, a psychiatrist and partner at the London-based healthcare consultancy firm Candesic. "ere's definitely an increas- ing appetite for anything in the world which is technology, and a realization that female con- sumer power has arrived — and that it's arrived in healthcare." Dr. Tempest said one reason technology for women is lacking is because life sciences re- search was overwhelmingly tailored to the male body. Julien Payen is the co-founder and CEO of Lattice Medical, a company that invented a 3D hollow breast implant that allows for the regen- eration of breast tissue post-mastectomy. Mr. Payen said that for femtech to expand, tech companies will need to develop tools that offer genuine health benefits to women and not just well-being apps. n More women getting COVID-19 vaccine than men: KHN By Gabrielle Masson M ore women than men are getting COVID-19 vaccines, according to a data analysis by Kaiser Health News. KHN analyzed early April vaccination data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and found that of the 38 states tracking gender data, all 38 report- ed more women receiving vaccines than men. Public health experts cited many potential rea- sons for the difference, such as women account- ing for about 75 percent of the workforce in healthcare and education, sectors prioritized for initial vaccines. Women also have a longer average life span, meaning older people in the first rounds of eligibility were more likely to be female. However, as eligibility expands, the gap has continued. The analysis revealed the vaccine breakdown be- tween women and men is typically around 60 per- cent and 40 percent, respectively. Not all states measure vaccinations by gender in the same way, though, with some breaking down the statistics by total vaccine doses, while others report peo- ple who have gotten at least one dose. Some states also report a separate category for nonbi- nary people or those whose gender is unknown. Experts hypothesize that women's roles as care- givers and a greater general likelihood to seek out preventive healthcare may explain the contin- ued gap, according to KHN. n COVID-19 could forecast 'managerial blues,' study suggests By Hannah Mitchell B eing promoted to a management position is supposed to be a pos- itive step in someone's career. However, some managers feel their new position is less meaningful than their last one, causing them to eventually step down. Organizations can predict who is feeling this way about their job, according to a March 9 article published in Harvard Business Review. Analysts interviewed 58 people working at a Paris subway station made up of two groups: subway drivers and subway ticket agents. Subway drivers reported feeling personally responsible for the lives of the people who rode the subway and often felt their job had life-or-death implications. Researchers noticed three takeaways from promoted employees after four years in their new positions that could be used to forecast mana- gerial trends in the healthcare sector. Three things to know: 1. Former subway drivers, who once felt responsible for people's lives, felt their new position was not as meaningful as their last one. 2. More than two-thirds of former subway drivers indicated that they were hoping to change positions in the near future, with some already applying elsewhere. Respondents often wanted to move to a position where they felt they were making a difference. 3. Former subway ticket agents, who did not deal with life-or-death sit- uations, felt their new position was a step up in personal responsibility. The authors felt that COVID-19 could forecast managerial blues in the healthcare sector. Healthcare staff may have feelings of responsibility and autonomy during the pandemic that may make a future manage- ment position feel less meaningful in contrast. "Years from now, or perhaps even more rapidly, a select few of them will get promoted to managerial ranks," the authors said. "Given their past experiences, we suspect that many will likely develop the managerial blues." n

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