When Convenience Meets Care: How Women Are Navigating Modern Health Care

Women are increasingly taking a more active role in managing their health, often turning to online resources, social media and digital health tools for information. But with busy schedules, limited appointment availability and a national physician shortage, many women are finding it difficult to access preventive care in traditional settings.

In a conversation with The Educated Patient, Kara Egan, CEO of Teal Health, discusses why empowering women with accurate information is key to improving health care decisions. She also explains the growing role of telehealth, at-home testing and informed patient choice in helping more women stay on top of important screenings like cervical cancer prevention.

You mentioned liking the concept of The Educated Patient. Why is that idea important when it comes to women’s health decisions?

Kara Egan: I love the concept of the educated patient because it really aligns with how we think about women’s health at Teal. Women deserve the information they need to make their own health care decisions.

When we were first developing our product, we didn’t know exactly what the results from our clinical trials would look like. Fortunately, the results showed that the test performs exactly the same as the one used in a doctor’s office. But our philosophy was always that women should have the ability to choose.

Sometimes at-home testing options are slightly less accurate than in-office options. In many cases, women are willing to accept a small difference in accuracy if it means greater convenience. That’s a personal decision. Our perspective was that women are smart and capable of weighing those options when they’re given the right information. When women have the information, they can decide what works best for them.

A recent report showed that 75% of women have skipped an in-person health care visit because it was too hard to fit into their lives. What are the biggest barriers women are facing right now?

KE: There are really two major issues. The first is simply finding an appointment. There is a massive physician shortage in the United States, and about one in three Americans cannot access preventive care — not because of insurance, but because there aren’t enough appointments available.

Even if you do find an appointment, it may be scheduled three to six months out. Then the question becomes whether that appointment actually fits into your schedule.

Many women are balancing multiple responsibilities. They may be caring for children, supporting aging parents, working full-time jobs and managing responsibilities in their communities. Their schedules are incredibly full.

Because of this, we’re seeing growing interest in telehealth and at-home care options when those approaches are appropriate. These solutions allow women to access care in ways that fit into their lives.

With 40% of women turning to social media for health guidance and 27% using AI tools, what does this say about trust in traditional health care systems?

KE: I don’t think this means women have lost trust in the health care system. In fact, many women still want health care providers to be part of their decision-making process.

What we’re seeing instead is that women are proactively searching for answers when they feel their concerns haven’t been fully addressed. Research has shown that women sometimes feel dismissed or not taken seriously when discussing their symptoms or health concerns.

So women are going online, using social media or asking AI tools to explore possible explanations and solutions. But many still want to bring that information back to their health care providers to validate it. They want the reassurance that a doctor agrees with the information they’ve found.

Another important factor is that physicians are extremely overworked right now. Because of the physician shortage, many doctors simply don’t have the time to stay on top of every emerging development in health care. That’s where tools like AI can actually help providers quickly access the latest research and have more informed conversations with patients.

What are some of the benefits and risks of women relying on social media or AI for health information?

KE: The biggest risk with social media is that you don’t always know whether someone providing advice is truly an expert.

That said, there are different levels of risk. If someone is sharing general lifestyle tips, like suggestions for improving sleep or stress management, the risk may be relatively low. But when advice starts to involve medications, supplements or treatments that could affect someone’s health, it becomes much more important to involve a health care professional.

When information starts to resemble medical guidance, it’s best to bring that information back to a health care provider who understands your medical history.

At the same time, it’s encouraging that women are being proactive about their health. Ideally, these tools can help women start conversations with their doctors, rather than replace them.

One in four women lack regular access to an OB-GYN. How should the health care system respond to this gap?

KE: We need to recognize that OB-GYN care in the United States faces several challenges. It’s an incredibly demanding field, and in many cases it’s undervalued and undercompensated compared with other specialties.

There are also significant legal and regulatory pressures affecting OB-GYN providers in some states, particularly related to reproductive care.

Addressing this shortage will require a combination of solutions, including better financial incentives, stronger support systems for providers, and greater investment in recruiting and retaining physicians in women’s health.

What is the most important message women should understand about balancing convenience with safe, evidence-based care?

KE: It really comes back to the idea of The Educated Patient.

Doctors don’t always have every piece of new information immediately available. But what they can do is help patients understand what questions to ask when evaluating new health care options.

For example, if a patient asks about a new screening option, a doctor might suggest looking for key indicators such as whether the test follows established clinical guidelines, what its accuracy is, and whether it has U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization.

Those types of questions create helpful guardrails. Even if a doctor isn’t familiar with a specific product yet, they can help patients evaluate whether it meets the standards they would expect.

Is there anything else you would like women to know about cervical cancer screening?

KE: One thing we’ve noticed is that many people don’t fully understand what a Pap smear is for. Because the term has been used for so long, people sometimes forget that it is actually a screening test for cervical cancer.

Today, there are newer and more accurate screening methods that test directly for HPV, which is the virus responsible for most cervical cancers.

What’s most important is that women stay up to date on screening. There are now two options: screening in a doctor’s office or screening at home. But the key message is that regular screening is essential.

Many women fall behind on cervical cancer screening, and increasing awareness about its importance can help prevent cancers before they develop.

This transcript was edited for clarity.