Researchers observed that mortality rates, particularly among female patients, were lower when they were followed by a female doctor rather than a male doctor. How to explain this phenomenon ?
- Women and men doctors practice medicine differently. These discrepancies would then have a significant impact on patient health outcomes.
- The study found that the mortality rate of female patients was 8.15% when they were treated by a female doctor compared to 8.38% when the doctor was a man.
- Female doctors would be able to have better communication with their patients, which would improve the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies.
Are there any differences when you are treated by a female or a male doctor? In any case, this is what a study published in the journal suggests Annals of Internal Medicine. Scientists have observed that patients have lower mortality and hospital readmission rates when cared for by female doctors. This difference is even more marked when it is women who receive the care.
A lower mortality rate among women treated by female doctors
For the purposes of this research, scientists analyzed claims data from Medicale, a health insurance program for people over 65 and young people with disabilities, from 2016 to 2019. The cases of 458,100 patients from female patients and 319,800 male patients were studied. Among them, 142,500 women and 97,500 men, or approximately 31% for both panels, were treated by female doctors.
During the work, the team assessed the subjects’ mortality and hospital readmission rates. Scientists observed that the mortality rate of female patients was 8.15% when they were treated by a woman compared to 8.38% when the doctor was a man. This difference, although smaller, was also observed in male patients. The mortality rate was 10.15% when they were cared for by a female doctor compared to 10.23% if they were cared for by a male doctor. This same trend was noted for hospital readmission rates.
An underestimation of the seriousness of pathologies by male doctors
Several factors could explain these differences in care. In particular, previous studies have shown that male doctors underestimate pain levels, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms and the risk of stroke in women. Underestimating the severity of the disease could then lead to delays or gaps in patient care, according to study leaders.
In addition, it seems that female doctors manage to have better communication with their patients. The latter would therefore provide more important information to improve diagnosis and treatment. Women may also be more comfortable with healthcare professionals when undergoing delicate examinations or engaging in detailed conversations.
In the future, additional work is needed to understand how and why male and female physicians practice medicine differently. “These discrepancies have a significant impact on patient health outcomes (…) Further research into the underlying mechanisms linking physician gender to patient outcomes, and why the benefit of receiving treatment “The proportion of female physicians is more important for female patients, has the potential to improve outcomes for patients as a whole.”said Dr. Yusuke Tsugawa, lead author of the study and associate professor of medicine and health management at the University of California, Los Angeles (United States).
