ClariMed Experts Featured in MD+DI for MD&M West Presentation on Gender Bias in Medtech

ClariMed is proud to share that Denise Forkey, Director of Human Factors Strategy & Advisory, and Aarti Swaminathan, Senior Human Factors Consultant and Manager, were featured in Medical Device + Diagnostics Industry (MD+DI) for their presentation at MD&M West 2026 in Anaheim, California. Their session explored how the underrepresentation of women in medical device research and testing contributes to disproportionate safety risks—and how manufacturers can take actionable steps to close that gap.

Denise and Aarti presented striking data: of 340,000 device-related deaths and injuries, 67% of those affected were women. They outlined two key types of bias—physical and interpretational—and walked the audience through two case studies, including ClariMed's work with femtech company Bea Fertility and a cardiovascular implant charger holder, demonstrating how anatomical and cognitive differences must be accounted for throughout device development.

"As a female in this industry, this is something very alarming to me. It is something we need to be aware of and to fix," Denise told the audience.

The presentation also highlighted the rapid growth of the femtech market—now valued at $60 billion globally—and FDA's increasing focus on sex- and gender-based considerations in device regulation.

Read the full article: Medtech's Gender Bias Problem Explored — MD+DI, February 4, 2026, by Claire Wallace.