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X-From: Maxim Bily <imax(AT)ODYSSEE.NET>
Subject: Survey Of Women With Disabilities Finds Many...
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Embargoed For Release: 12 May 1998 at 14:00:00 ET US
Contact: Lois Baker
baker(AT)newsb.buffalo.edu
716-645-2626
University at Buffalo
Survey Of Women With Disabilities Finds Many
Health-Care Needs Unmet In Traditional Settings
NEW ORLEANS -- One of the first assessments of the health status of women
with
disabilities, conducted by University at Buffalo faculty members, has
spurred formation
of a one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary health-care center for women with
disabilities,
where physicians provide neurologic, gynecologic and preventive care
under
one roof.
The health-needs assessment was conducted by the Women's Health
Collaborative
Research Group, which aimed to develop a wellness model of women-centered
care
that met the requirements of women with chronic disabling conditions.
Results showed that more than 20 percent of these women experience
reproductive and
post-menopausal health problems that often are not treated adequately
within a
traditional system designed for people who are fully functional.
More than 300 women with multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke or other
neurologic
disorders completed the survey. Half of the women, who had a median age
of
45, were
moderately to severely disabled. Analysis showed that more than 20
percent
reported a
history of gynecologic problems, such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis,
ovarian cysts,
irregular menstrual periods and deterioration of MS during menstruation.
Forty percent were sexually inactive and 70 percent of the post-
menopausal
women
were not taking hormone replacement therapy.
Respondents reported experiencing insensitivity to their special
health-care needs; lack
of accessible medical equipment, such as examination tables and
mammography
machines, and difficulty getting to the several facilities required for
different problems.
Carol Brownscheidle, Ph.D., UB clinical research scientist and director
of
the Center
for Women with Disabilities, will present results of the survey and
discuss
the center
here today (May 12,1998) at the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists'
annual clinical meeting. Dennis M. Weppner, M.D., UB associate professor
of
gynecology and obstetrics, is co-author.
"The health concerns of many women with disabilities often are not met
through the
traditional health-care delivery system," said Brownscheidle. "People
don't
think of
these women in the context of wellness: They think of them only in terms
of
their
disease.
"If they have limited movement, they can't use the stirrups on a
conventional
pelvic-exam table. Perhaps they can't stand upright for mammography
screening. If they
are spastic, they can't do breast exams. Getting to different specialty
offices is difficult."
Brownscheidle said that in many cases involving women who have MS,
post-stroke
impairment, post-polio paralysis, cerebral palsy, spinal-cord injury,
spina
bifida or
movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, the neurologist is the
gatekeeper for
health care.
"We've built on that, and formed a kind of one-stop health shopping
center.
When
women come in for stroke treatment or follow-up visits for multiple
sclerosis, they can
go to the next room for a pelvic exam and pap test, another room for a
mammogram,
and then have their blood pressure checked."
The Center for Women with Disabilities, which opened in September, uses
equipment
adapted to the capabilities of women with disabilities. Nurse
practitioners
present
programs on issues such as nutrition and osteoporosis. Monthly "focus
luncheons" bring
in specialists to answer questions on health topics in an informal
setting.
While improving health remains the primary agenda -- Brownscheidle says
the
goal is to
survey 1,000 women eventually -- the center has branched out to address
broader,
quality-of-life issues. It offers programs on community-service
opportunities,
networking, social services and careers. The Outdoor Adventure program
offers
wilderness wheelchair hikes, and the Women Helping Women program links
women
with disabilities with volunteer opportunities in assisted-living
settings
and nursing
homes.
The center is part of the Western New York Neuroscience Center, located
in
The
Buffalo General Hospital, where the survey was conducted. It has
attracted
the
attention of several health-care organizations, including the New York
State Health
Department and the Mayo Clinic, which will send representatives to
Buffalo
to visit the
clinic later this month.
Brownscheidle was invited to discuss the center at the Women's Health
Issues in
Multiple Sclerosis conference in Houston in March, and will moderate
another
conference on Amelia Island this June on the same issue, based on the
survey findings
and the center's work.
###
-- Maksim (Max) Bilymail to: imax(AT)odyssee.net
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