Study indicates that women have higher chance of survival when treated by female doctors
Among individuals who were 65 years old and above, 8.15% women cared for by women doctors passed away within 30 days, while 8.38% women under male doctors’ care died as well
It could seem very odd that gender could affect medical outcomes. On the other hand, a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine states that those who were taken care of by female doctors during hospitalization had lower chances of death or readmission. Among individuals who were 65 years old and above, 8.15% women cared for by women doctors passed away within 30 days, while 8.38% women under male doctors’ care died as well.
The margin between these groups may look very small but it is noted that it could save the lives of 5,000 women every year. It therefore indicates the important role played by the female physicians in healthcare settings for elderly. This study is just a part of a big investigation to understand the causes of unequal medical treatment to women and minority populations compared to men and white patients.For example, studies show that women and minorities are at 30% higher chance of getting misdiagnosed than white men.
Despite the fact that some experts tend to be skeptical of a physician’s gender contributing to the difference in results, the findings of the study should not be discarded.
A total of 800,000 females and males who had been hospitalized in between 2016 and 2019 and all covered with Medicare were a part of the study. It should be noted that for male patients the gender of their doctor may not correlate with their mortality or readmission rates. The exact reason why better outcomes under female doctors remain unclear, previous research suggests that factors like reduced. “Miscommunication, misunderstanding and bias” plays a role.
Atsushi Miyawaki, the lead study author, said these aspects play an important role as potential contributors to the observed differences in outcomes. Miyawaki pointed to the issue of insufficient training medical students receive in women’s health matters.
Dr. Megan Ranney ,dean of the Yale School of Public health stated “Our pain and our symptoms are often dismissed,it may be that women physicians are more aware of that and are more empathetic.” According to Ranney, female primary care doctors often prioritize spending more time with their patients, which is wonderful for patient care. However, this also means that women typically have fewer patient appointments per day and, consequently, earn less on average than male doctors.
Dr. Ronald Wyatt, a former leader at a research and advocacy group focused on medical diagnosis, said “There is a tendency for doctors to harbor sexist stereotypes about women, regardless of age, such as the notion that women’s symptoms are more emotional or their pain is less severe or more psychological in origin.”
Women tend to encounter fewer issues when receiving care from female healthcare professionals. As an example, a study from JAMA Surgery in 2021 showed that female patients had a lesser unfavorable outcome when their surgeons were also female. Another study of JAMA Surgery 2023 further demonstrated the fact that all the patients were experiencing fewer complications and shorter hospital stays when operated by female surgeons, who were recognized for their calm pace of work, in comparison to male surgeons.
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, highlighted that multiple studies indicate female doctors adhere more closely to medical evidence and guidelines, leading to better patient outcomes. “There’s considerable diversity between female and male physicians,” noted Jha, who wasn’t part of the recent study. He added, “Women often excel in communication, active listening, and open dialogue with patients. Patients consistently report improved communication. When you combine these factors, you start to see the subtle yet significant differences.”
Dr. Wyatt urged the need to implement de-biasing training for doctors that will help them overcome stereotypes and improve the care they provide for women. Another point he highlighted was on the necessity of putting more women physicians in leadership roles, the in-crease in women doctors recruitment and the improvement of efforts to retain them within the healthcare facilities. These actions are necessary for developing healthcare outcomes and providing equitable and quality treatment for all the patients.
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