Why We’re Taking the Heart Bus to Women in Vulnerable Situations

In a podcast for Pharma radio, Prof. Claire Mounier-Véhier, MD, who cofounded Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation (Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes) with Thierry Drilhon, shared what the foundation will be doing with some big cities in autumn 2021 to support women using a gynecardiology care pathway.

Seventy percent of workers living in poverty are women in vulnerable situations and they are 57% of those receiving French Revenu de Solidarité Active (RSA) benefits that provide a minimum income to unemployed or very low-income workers. When it comes to healthcare, 9.5 million women postpone or skip health appointments every year, representing 64% of the total who do so. The health crisis has only accentuated the difficulties some face when it comes to housing, food and healthcare. With these daily pressures, taking care of one’s health often takes a back seat, making a person weaker and more vulnerable.

Because they’re missing information and don’t have access to certain healthcare professionals like cardiologists or gynecologists, they are usually under diagnosed, undertreated, insufficiently monitored and at high risk of recurrence and death after their first cardiovascular event.

The goal of the Heart Bus work is to go to neglected neighborhoods to meet with women in vulnerable situations. Cities and local health stakeholders will partner on this collaborative and inclusive event. Covering seven towns starting in 2021, the Heart Bus will progressively add more cities in France.

Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation’s goal is to send the Heart Bus to seven large cities in France over seven weeks, starting in mid-September 2021, spending three days in each city.

The Heart Bus will be equipped for cardiovascular and gynecology screening comprising seven key steps using connected Withings® devices:
• Welcome from a health professional
• Blood pressure measurement
• Weight and abdominal circumference measurement
• Diabetes and dyslipidemia screening
• Electrocardiogram screening for abnormalities
• Gynecology, diet, tobacco and addiction screening
• Summary of the screening by a health professional and pre-filled letter for the woman’s primary doctor if there is an abnormality in the cardiovascular screening and/or if gynecology follow-up care has been interrupted.

Listen to the podcast (in French)