Two-thirds of women in NL feel unheard by healthcare workers

Two-thirds of women in the Netherlands say they don’t always feel heard by healthcare professionals, for example when describing symptoms, asking for referrals or discussing treatment options, according to a new report by polling company Kieskompas.

The findings were sent to MPs today and drawn from a survey of 14,000 women aged 16 and over. Only one in five women in the survey said healthcare professionals listen well to women.

Women aged 25 to 54 and women with unexplained symptoms were the most likely to say they felt misunderstood by consultants, and fewer than half of women with a condition or disability said the care they received helped them sufficiently.

Women also said they felt less well informed about topics that only affect women, such as menopause, than about general health issues. Women of all ages said they wanted that information, and would like to see more research on it.

According to ZonMw, a research funding body behind the report, girls would like to know more about how hormones can impact mental health for example.

Nearly two in three women said they thought women did not feel comfortable discussing health problems at work. Of women with health problems, 63% said these had affected their work, mainly through stress and lower productivity, and over a quarter had stopped working earlier than planned.

A second report, also presented on Monday, analysed the experiences of women who have got stuck in the healthcare system because of long-term, unexplained symptoms. The analysis, carried out by health research institute Nivel for the Voices for Women foundation, was based on surveys and accounts that women submitted themselves, which the researchers note it is not representative.

A lack of recognition came up in almost every account, ANP reported, and only one in four women said they felt heard by their care provider. According to ZonMw, almost 90% did not feel taken seriously, and 65% said they often got a psychological diagnosis when they came in with a physical complaint.

“The two new reports underline the urgency of the message ZonMw and others have been spreading for some time: more attention for women’s health is needed,” ZonMw said in a statement.