Women face significant health hurdles in the mid-2020s, from cancer and heart disease to mental health conditions, pregnancy complications and maternal mortality. But there also is room for optimism, according to a recent Advisory Board webinar, “2025 Women’s Healthcare Market Trends.”
The organization’s research consultant Gabriela Marmolejos and research analyst Julia Elder presented data that illustrate women’s health vulnerabilities but also outlined opportunities for improvement.
Health by the numbers
Marmolejos said that a number of women’s inpatient service lines are projected to see declines in volume over the next four years, including gynecology, breast surgery, neonatology and obstetrics. However, increases are expected in some outpatient services, such as mammography, breast surgery and urinary incontinence care – particularly for women ages 65 and older.
New cancer cases in women are expected to increase 11% from 2023 to 2028, with breast and gynecologic cancer cases seeing single-digit growth. Births have been on the decline since 2008, though they saw a slight uptick from 2023 to 2024. Marmolejos noted that domestic migration may play a role in the sliding birth trend, with many people moving to states that have a lower cost of living.
Rising maternal age and comorbidities are leading to more medically complex births, Marmolejos said. From 2016 to 2024, with about a year average increase in maternal age, there was a 77% rise in prepregnancy hypertension and a 41% jump in prepregnancy diabetes. NICU admissions, maternal ICU admissions and maternal blood transfusions also increased during the period.
There have been some significant shifts in maternal mortality over the last few years, Marmolejos noted. Maternal and pregnancy-related mortality rates climbed sharply from 2018 to 2021, with a spike of 33.2 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other key statistics included a 35% increase in Black women’s maternal mortality from 2018 to 2023, a period during which Asian and white women’s rates declined.
Women’s mental health challenges are significant as well, Marmolejos said.
“More women are reporting higher rates of anxiety and depression than in the past,” she said. “Women with low socioeconomic status and living in rural areas report the highest rates of anxiety and depression symptoms compared to the national average.”
National Survey of Children’s Health data show that the percentage of women reporting “excellent” maternal mental health decreased from 38% in 2016 to 26% seven years later, a 33% drop. More women ages 18 to 29 are reporting anxiety symptoms than their older counterparts, and there have been significant increases in depression prevalence among young women.
“Caring for both young and older patients is no easy feat for women’s providers, especially since these patients each have distinct care needs,” Elder said. “With such wide-reaching needs across many different specialties, women often feel like traditional providers fall short in comprehensively addressing all their care,” potentially leaving patients vulnerable to unreliable advice from online and other sources, she noted.
Solutions making a difference
Marmolejos and Elder outlined a number of care innovations that offer hope and help for women’s health challenges. Currently available advancements include at-home testing for sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer, nonhormonal drugs for night sweats and hot flashes, medications for postpartum depression, digital therapeutics for mental and physical health disorders, wearables to track blood pressure, glucose and sleep patterns, and self-administered vaginal devices to address overactive bladder.
Artificial intelligence-based tools are playing a role as well, with clinician note-taking software, predictive staffing and scheduling tools, remote monitoring systems and imaging interpretation technology offering a higher quality of care for women.
Marmolejos and Elder talked about greater awareness of the importance of treating menopause symptoms. There has been growth in the number of employers offering specific menopause health benefits for female workers, an important step for women’s wellness, they noted.
Future points to consider
The presenters suggested three areas of women’s care to keep an eye on: Policy and legislative actions, challenges faced by rural obstetric units, and personalized experiences offered by care providers.
Some of the latest policy developments impact Medicaid coverage, research funding, vaccine recommendations and fertility support. Women are likely to be disproportionately affected by Medicaid work requirements under new federal legislation, and Medicaid cuts will have wide-ranging effects, the speakers said.
Rural hospitals continue to feel the pain from reduced funding and patient volumes, with nearly 300 shuttering their labor and delivery units from 2011 to 2023. Today, 58% of rural facilities do not have a labor and delivery unit, and two-thirds of rural women must travel more than a half-an-hour to reach the nearest one. Sustainable solutions involving reimbursement, tort reform and training have been proposed by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, American Hospital Association and National Rural Health Association, Elder said.
Personalized care will play an important role in women’s health in the future, the speakers said. There is likely to be a greater focus on the distinct health needs of older and younger women, and personalized therapies will include enhanced postpartum care, concierge health and virtual-first services in areas such as menopause and weight loss care.
For more Advisory Board content and data on women’s health, visit: https://www.advisory.com/topics/womens