Abstract Manager

Dedicated Poster

LP9 - 03

Accept

I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.

no

General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)

Poster

Education Research

Student

Women's Cardiovascular Health in the Undergraduate Curriculum

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Canadian women. However, early heart attack signs are consistently missed in up to 78% of women, with providers identifying a need for increased training in women's hearts (Heart & Stroke Foundation, 2018). In fact, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recently called for Ontario medical schools to incorporate gender considerations into the undergraduate curriculum. We sought to evaluate our institution's pre-clerkship cardiovascular unit for any gender-specific education needs.

We identified all cardiovascular learning events in our institution's pre-clerkship curriculum using keywords including "acute coronary syndrome", "heart failure" and "cardiovascular disease". Our analysis identified eleven relevant learning events, which we mapped to the Women's Health Competencies published by the Association of Professors of Obstetrics & Gynecology (APGO). Next, we reviewed management guidelines from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), clinical trials and high-quality reviews in acute coronary syndrome to summarize gender-specific considerations across multiple cardiovascular disease settings.

Our curriculum mapping identified areas of improvement in 5 of the 9 APGO Women's Health Learning Objectives. Two of these learning objectives focused on gender-specific differences in heart failure, two were related to acute coronary syndrome and atherosclerosis, and one covered epidemiological differences. A review of all CCS guidelines revealed that gender specific guidelines have been published for heart failure and valvular disease in pregnancy. However, no specific information has been published yet on the presentation and management of ACS in women, despite known differences in risk factors, symptoms, and underlying pathophysiology. Finally, current research indicates that there is a need to address provider bias when ordering investigations, prescribing medications, and referring to rehabilitation programs after acute coronary events in women.

As medical students, we recognized gaps in our training regarding care for women's hearts and identified specific areas of improvement. We are currently working with the curriculum coordinator to integrate Women's Cardiovascular Health content throughout the undergraduate curriculum, with lectures, small group sessions and relevant clinical skills scenarios. We envision that our methodology can be applied by other medical students across Canada to ensure that gender considerations are addressed in cardiovascular curriculums across the country.

Undergraduate

Curriculum

General

Undergraduate

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes