At the heart of the matter: One woman's bypass experience.

Medical students' and residents' gender bias in the diagnosis, treatment, and interpretation of coronary heart disease symptoms.

“…However, the inclusion of textbook-typical symptoms probably minimized gender bias. It is possible that atypical symptoms might contribute even further to a bias in women as anecdotal evidence suggests (e.g., Latz & Baird, 1994; LeCharity, 1999). Future research examining how medical personnel respond to men and women presenting atypical CHD symptoms, or how the presence of stress and anxiety in addition to atypical symptoms might influence patient assessment, seems particularly relevant and worthwhile.…”

Women’s Experiences of Medical Miss-Diagnosis: How does gender matter in healthcare settings?

“…We drew on a narrative methodology for the project, because we understand that experiences, such as accessing healthcare, act as mirrors for social realities (Rickard, 2015;Squire et al, 2013). Narratives enable sense-making by providing spaces for sharing stories, along with a sense of closure and validation, particularly when narratives represent troubling experiences (Akman et al, 2001;Latz, 1994;Rickard, 2015). Sense-making can be seen as the interplay between inner dialogue and social contexts, where sense emerges over time through multiple interactions and recounting of experiences, either alone or with others, enabling insight into an experience (Dowding et al, 2016;Harrington, 2017;Wright et al, 2004).…”

“…While it was not the intention of this work to include healthcare professionals' narratives, understanding how these professionals frame their experiences would offer further insight into the misdiagnosis phenomenon, particularly for those who are unaware they have misdiagnosed, as they may not see the patient again. Including the healthcare professionals' voices will offer a holistic sense-making option and open up a valuable dialogue between patient and healthcare professional that could lead to insight and understanding around the misdiagnosis phenomenon (Colyar, 2012;Latz, 1994). We also acknowledge that the healthcare system is under-resourced, and healthcare professionals are often overworked, both of which create difficult environments in which to work.…”