Strategies for Overcoming Barriers in Access to Cardiovascular Care for Women

Women face unique barriers to equitable health care. To ensure access to quality cardiovascular care across the lifespan of women, several systemic and social challenges need to be addressed. With the understanding that women often direct health care decisions, not only for themselves but for their family unit as well, a holistic approach to address health care barriers is warranted. This review aims to highlight key barriers to equitable health care access for women and propose potential strategies to overcome these barriers. This review is structured around 5 key areas in which there are gender- or sex-specific barriers to optimal outcomes: (1) insurance-related barriers, (2) geographic and social barriers, (3) health care delivery capacity and workforce issues, (4) quality and accountability measures, and (5) global health challenges. More research is needed on the sustainability, costs, and sex- and gender-specific outcomes of these solutions to drive transformative change.