Digestive Center for Women Network

Female patients prefer female physicians for digestive health management

• 87% are willing to wait over 30 days for a colonoscopy with a gender concordant endoscopist (Elta, et al. Gastrointest Endosc 2005)

Quality of care may be improved by increasing the number of females practitioners focused on digestive health

Women would be more likely to comply with colon cancer screening and other initiatives if treated by a female physician

Number of female gastroenterologists does not meet the demand

• Women make up 70% of GI patients but only 10% of gastroenterologists

Need to recruit and mentor more women for careers in gastroenterology

Lack of research on women’s issues in gastroenterology

Need for more targeted research on women’s digestive health