Patient Education and Counseling
Volume 84, Issue 2 , Pages 143-149, August 2011

Bringing gender sensitivity into healthcare practice: A systematic review

  • Halime Celik

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health, Ethics and Society, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
    • Simons & Partners Law Firm, Gulpen, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Simons & Partners Advocaten, Rijksweg 73, P.O. Box 20, 6270 AA, Gulpen, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 43 365 30 05; fax: +31 43 365 29 07.
    • ,
  • Toine A.L.M. Lagro-Janssen

      Affiliations

    • Women's Studies Medical Sciences/General Practice, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Guy G.A.M. Widdershoven

      Affiliations

    • VU Medical Center, EMGO Institute, Department of Medical Ethics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Tineke A. Abma

      Affiliations

    • VU Medical Center, EMGO Institute, Department of Medical Ethics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Received 16 July 2009; received in revised form 12 July 2010; accepted 14 July 2010. published online 19 August 2010.

Abstract 

Objective

Despite the body of literature on gender dimensions and disparities between the sexes in health, practical improvements will not be realized effectively as long as we lack an overview of the ways how to implement these ideas. This systematic review provides a content analysis of literature on the implementation of gender sensitivity in health care.

Methods

Literature was identified from CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, EBSCO and Cochrane (1998–2008) and the reference lists of relevant articles. The quality and relevance of 752 articles were assessed and finally 11 original studies were included.

Results

Our results demonstrate that the implementation of gender sensitivity includes tailoring opportunities and barriers related to the professional, organizational and the policy level. As gender disparities are embedded in healthcare, a multiple track approach to implement gender sensitivity is needed to change gendered healthcare systems.

Conclusion

Conventional approaches, taking into account one barrier and/or opportunity, fail to prevent gender inequality in health care. For gender-sensitive health care we need to change systems and structures, but also to enhance understanding, raise awareness and develop skills among health professionals.

Practice implications

To bring gender sensitivity into healthcare practice, interventions should address a range of factors.

Keywords: Gender, Diversity, Intersectionality, Mainstreaming, Implementation, Health, Health care, Review

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PII: S0738-3991(10)00417-9

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2010.07.016

Patient Education and Counseling
Volume 84, Issue 2 , Pages 143-149, August 2011

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