Until the twentieth century, medicine for women was plagued by ignorance and distrust. Midwives, some very capable and others marginally so, attended to childbirth—the most uniquely female biological event—with haphazard success. Physicians were perceived, perhaps justifiably, as insensitive and to be consulted only in dire circumstances, and medical care for the typical woman was considered a dubious economic investment. Women worked hard, bore and raised children, and received less than men economically, socially, and medically.

In the past hundred years, the role of women in industrial and post-industrial nations has changed amazingly. This didn’t happen by accident. Women fought for the right to vote, to receive more education, and to be treated equally in regard to property. It is no longer unusual for a woman to acquire her own house, university diploma, or seat in government.

Despite a great deal of progress, though, the battle isn’t over. Women now hold much private wealth in this country but still earn, on average, less than men. Fundamentalism, as much a political tool as a creed, threatens the freedom and vitality of women in many parts of the world. Reproductive responsibilities and freedoms still provoke vehement, even violent, controversy in this country.

In medicine, the fact that women’s needs differ from men’s is still sometimes forgotten. Drug development is skewed in favor of males, while reproductive education and methods of control are frequently obscured or denied. Physicians, even in obstetrics and gynecology, are still mostly men. And not surprisingly, to reduce their expenditures, insurers would like to limit women’s access to gynecologists.

This is where Medicine Meets Virtual Reality fits in. Each year the conference focuses on a special concern, to effect positive change and further strengthen the bond between healthcare providers and their patients. In MMVR's past six years, professionals have shared their ideas and accomplishments and, as a result, have refined their ability to generate and manipulate images of bodies, their ailments, and their treatments. Education, surgery, and clinical care have all benefited from the tools MMVR participants have created.

The special focus of this year's meeting is women’s health, for clearly virtual reality technology can be used to improve care for women as well as men. Although specialization in women's health is largely an urban resource, telemedicine can transport expertise to rural areas. Data networks can educate providers and patients without obliging them to visit distant libraries. Imaging techniques can provide a new understanding of the female body, and breast cancer can be diagnosed earlier and more accurately. Computers serve as assistants in delivery rooms, not to replace human hands but to make them more helpful and effective.

The medical profession has a unique ability to penetrate political and social barriers and fulfill its obligation to improve health for all. Physicians can speak—if they care to and dare to—and the public will listen. Women, as individuals and as mothers of the next generation, deserve every effort physicians and the medical establishment can put forth for them. You, participants in Medicine Meets Virtual Reality, come from around the world. Your mission should be to use your knowledge and talents to enhance the well-being of women, and people, everywhere.

Jim Westwood

Susan Wheeler Westwood

Karen Morgan

Aligned Management Associates, Inc