All over the world, medical students who are women comprise nearly half of all those studying in medical schools after centuries when men were the vast majority in the profession, especially those in the most senior positions.
“What our findings indicate is that female and male physicians practice medicine differently, and these differences have a meaningful impact on patients’ health outcomes,” Tsugawa said. “Further research on the underlying mechanisms linking physician gender with patient outcomes, and why the benefit of receiving the treatment from female physicians is larger for female patients, has the potential to improve patient outcomes across the board.”
What are the factors driving the differences?
There may be several factors driving these differences, the researchers wrote. They suggest that male doctors might underestimate the severity of their female patients’ illness – prior research has noted that male doctors underestimate their female patients’ pain levels, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms, and stroke risk, which could lead to delayed or incomplete care. Female doctors may also communicate better with their female patients, making it likelier that these patients provide important information leading to better diagnoses and treatment. Finally, female patients may be more comfortable with receiving sensitive examinations and engaging in detailed conversations with female physicians.
