Looking for a purpose-focused company to work for?

Siemens Healthineers pioneers breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. 

It's a great company to work for as women's health provides a constant focus. 

Helping close the gender health gap

This leading medtech company is fully committed to helping close the gender health gap. Yet, across industry, with significant disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and funding when compared to men, women's heart health can see gaps in diagnosis and declining awareness, women facing delayed diagnosis, and awareness of heart disease declining among women.

Here we focus on an insightful article from Christine Rösch [pictured below] who works as a communications specialist for the Content Lab for Siemens Healthineers. Christine is a sociologist with a special interest in medical and health sociology, health communication, and design thinking. 

Through the case study of a woman called Mira, Christine writes about the crucial vigilance required in identifying cardiac risk, especially in women. The article draws attention to issues in women's healthcare: the silent warnings given by women's hearts that, if overlooked or misdiagnosed, can be deadly. 

Experiencing atypical heart attack symptoms

Fatigue, breathlessness, or diffuse discomfort can mask serious cardiac risk — especially in women. But these symptoms often don’t align with textbook presentations, making vigilance crucial. 

Christine highlights how women can experience atypical symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, abdominal or jaw pain, rather than the classic chest pain. In fact, a large study cited shows 42 percent of women experiencing heart attacks reported no chest pain, making recognition and diagnosis challenging. 

These atypical symptoms are summarized by Professor Irene Lang: "Coronary artery disease in women is a very particular condition that does not follow textbook patterns."

Declining awareness and increased hesitation

These atypical symptoms are compounded by women's declining awareness of symptoms and risk, which is particularly pronounced among the younger generation, and an increased hesitation when seeking medical help due to family responsibilities, fear of "overreacting", and previous experiences in the healthcare system. 

Looking beyond initial test results

Christine's article also emphasizes that standard tests can appear normal in women, even when serious disease is present. 

This means healthcare professionals must look beyond initial results and consider female-specific risk factors, including pregnancy-related conditions and hormonal changes.

Identifying a gender gap in diagnosis and care

The result is a clear gender gap in care, experienced by Mira herself, where women are more likely to experience delayed or missed diagnoses. 

Christine identifies this gender gap as a systemic issue requiring targeted action, such as training, checklists, and structured systems. 

Frontiers in Global Women's Health describes the pattern often observed in women's behavior as women are more likely to hesitate when seeking medical help due to:

• lack of symptom knowledge
• family responsibilities
• fear of “overreacting”
• previous experiences in the healthcare system

Raising awareness about women's heart disease

Christine's overall point is clear and important, illustrated by Mira's case study. Women's heart disease often presents differently, is too often overlooked, and requires earlier recognition, better understanding, and more personalized care to improve outcomes. 

Help improve health outcomes for women

A career with Siemens Healthineers means being more than an employee. It means having many opportunities to grow professionally and the room to grow personally. 

Inspired to make an impact in healthcare?

Research latest job vacancies with Siemens Healthineers.

Search jobs