The Women's Health Diagnostic Gap

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Reproductive Health
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Pregnancy complications pose significant global health risks, affecting millions of women worldwide.
• Existing diagnostic tools for conditions like ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes are insufficient for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring.
• There is a critical need to advance diagnostic capabilities in women's health during pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current diagnostic tools used for common pregnancy complications.
• To identify key areas for improvement in pregnancy diagnostic testing.
• To propose actionable objectives for narrowing the diagnostic gap in maternal health.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing diagnostic methods including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) discriminatory zone, cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1:placental growth factor (sFlt-1:PlGF) ratio, and glucose tolerance testing.
• Literature review of diagnostic tool efficacy and limitations in pregnancy.
• Identification of strategic objectives for enhancing diagnostic accuracy and accessibility.

Main Results:

• Current diagnostic tools have limitations in effectively screening, diagnosing, and monitoring diverse pregnancy complications.
• A significant gap exists between the need for advanced diagnostic tools and their current availability in women's health.
• Specific areas for improvement include biospecimen banking, professional education, targeted research funding, and trimester-specific reference intervals.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the identified objectives can significantly improve diagnostic capabilities for pregnancy-related conditions.
• Enhancing diagnostic tools is crucial for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality globally.
• Future efforts should focus on developing and implementing improved diagnostic strategies tailored to the unique needs of pregnant individuals.