Challenges and Opportunities for Data Science in Women's Health

Abstract

The intersection of women's health and data science is a field of research that has historically trailed other fields, but more recently it has gained momentum. This growth is being driven not only by new investigators who are moving into this area but also by the significant opportunities that have emerged in new methodologies, resources, and technologies in data science. Here, we describe some of the resources and methods being used by women's health researchers today to meet challenges in biomedical data science. We also describe the opportunities and limitations of applying these approaches to advance women's health outcomes and the future of the field, with emphasis on repurposing existing methodologies for women's health.

Keywords: biomedical research; data science; electronic health records; gynecologic health; reproductive health; women's health.

Figure 1

An overview of the domains of research that encompass women’s health and data science. Created with BioRender.com.

Figure 2

Published literature using data science approaches from women’s health research (1967–2022) (n = 101,623).

Figure 3

Published literature (2000–2022) from women’s health research using data science approaches and (a) electronic health records or (b) genomics.

Figure 3

Published literature (2000–2022) from women’s health research using data science approaches and (a) electronic health records or (b) genomics.