Sweden Faces Healthcare Challenges for Women with PMOS and Elderly Care Continuity Issues

Recent discourse in Sweden highlights pressing challenges in the healthcare system affecting women with PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) and the elderly population. PMOS, formerly known as PCOS, is now recognized as a complex metabolic and hormonal disorder impacting women's overall health beyond fertility. Symptoms include irregular menstruation, acne, weight gain, fatigue, and a heightened risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Despite these serious health risks, many women face delayed diagnoses and fragmented care, often feeling their concerns are minimized.

A notable example is Alara, a 21-year-old from Halmstad, who sought care abroad due to inadequate treatment options in Sweden, demonstrating a failure within the national healthcare system. To address these challenges, the Sjukvårdspartiet proposes establishing a regional women's health center focused on hormonal and endocrine disorders. This center would facilitate early diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, lifestyle modifications, fertility counseling, and multidisciplinary collaboration to ensure comprehensive care.

Concurrently, Sweden grapples with continuity of care in elderly healthcare, where frequent changes in home care personnel cause insecurity and anxiety among older adults. An 84-year-old woman describes the distress caused by unpredictability in her daily care visits. The healthcare system’s poor ranking among OECD countries for providing consistent healthcare contacts is linked to poorer health outcomes. Additionally, digitalization creates barriers for seniors, especially those over 75, complicating access to necessary services. The National Board of Health and Welfare is tasked with improving personnel continuity, yet current practices prioritize schedules and checklists over meaningful patient-caregiver relationships.

Both issues underscore a critical need for a more person-centered approach in Sweden’s healthcare system that recognizes and addresses complex patient needs through continuity, specialized services, and holistic support. Advocates emphasize that women with PMOS should not have to seek care abroad and elderly individuals deserve stable, respectful, and trust-based care models.