Is having a female doctor better for your health?

With female doctors, patients had 4 percent lower odds of dying within a month after being admitted to the hospital and a 5 percent smaller chance of repeat hospitalizations within the first month after leaving the hospital, the study found.

“The difference in mortality rates surprised us,” said lead author Dr. Yusuke Tsugawa, a health policy researcher at Harvard University in Boston.

Previous studies have found differences in the way men and women practice medicine, Tsugawa added by email. For example, female physicians are more likely to adhere to clinical guidelines and focus more on communication and forging relationships with patients.

“However, it was largely unknown whether such differences have a meaningful impact on patient outcomes,” Tsugawa said.

While the findings don’t necessarily mean patients need to seek out female doctors, the results do suggest there’s room for some physicians to rethink how they communicate with patients and make treatment decisions, Tsugawa said.

To assess differences in outcomes for male and female doctors, researchers analyzed data on more than one million adults 65 and older insured by Medicare who altogether were hospitalized more than 1.5 million times between 2011 and 2014. During those hospital stays, they were treated by general internists.

The research team analyzed 30-day mortality rates – i.e., how many patients died within 30 days of being admitted to the hospital – and 30-day readmission rates, or how often patients returned to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.

During the study period, 58,344 internists treated at least one hospitalized Medicare patient. Among this group of doctors, 18,751, or 32 percent, were women.

After adjusting for patient and physician characteristics, there were small but clinically meaningful differences in mortality and readmission rates, researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Patients treated by female physicians had 30-day mortality rates of 11.07 percent, compared with 11.49 percent for male doctors, the study found.

With female doctors, patients had 30-day readmission rates of 15.02 percent, compared with 15.57 percent for male physicians.

Researchers saw better outcomes for mortality and readmissions with female physicians across a range of common conditions treated in the hospital including bloodstream infections, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, urinary tract infections, kidney failure, heart rhythm disorders and gastrointestinal bleeding.

The study is observational and doesn’t explain why there might be better outcomes with female doctors, the researchers note. It’s possible that gender serves as a marker of differences in practice patterns that might influence outcomes, they say.

Still, the findings that female internists provide higher quality care should push hospitals to do a better job of promoting and paying women, who typically earn less and have fewer opportunities for advancement than their male peers in medicine, Dr. Anna Parks and Dr. Rita Redberg of the University of California, San Francisco, argue in an accompanying editorial.

“Some have suggested that home responsibilities might contribute to female physicians providing inferior care and thus justify these disparities,” Parks said by email.

“The data from this paper should serve to highlight these inequities – female physicians provide equivalent or potentially better care compared to male colleagues yet get promoted less often and have lower salaries than their male colleagues,” Parks said. “We want to close that gap.”

SOURCE: bit.ly/2h3RVvA JAMA Internal Medicine, online December 19, 2016.

With female doctors, patients had 4 percent lower odds of dying within a month after being admitted to the hospital and a 5 percent smaller . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • sargassum-slams-cancun-playa-restaurantsSargassum Crisis in Cancún and Playa del Carmen Forces Restaurants and Beach Clubs to Cut Staff Businesses in Cancún and Playa del Carmen report steep losses due to sargassum, with restaurants losing diners and beach clubs sending staff on unpaid leave. Restaurants and beach clubs along the shores of Puerto Juárez in Cancún and Playa del Carmen are grappling with a sharp downturn in business due to a relentless invasion of…
  • cancun-beaches-50-tons-sargassum-cleanupCancún beach overwhelmed by over 50 tons of sargassum in 24 hours Over 50 tons of sargassum were removed from Cancún’s Chac Mool Beach in just 24 hours, as authorities ramp up cleaning efforts across three key public beaches. Cancún’s white-sand beaches are under pressure once again as an unusually large volume of sargassum has washed ashore in the last 24 hours, disrupting tourism and triggering a…
  • cancun-hotels-sargassum-cleanup-failuresCancún government demands answers from hotels on sargassum cleanup failures Mayor Ana Paty Peralta will meet with hotel leaders in Cancún to address failures in sargassum cleanup efforts, amid growing environmental and public health concerns. The municipal government of Benito Juárez is taking a firmer stance on the growing sargassum problem in Cancún, calling on the hotel industry to explain its inadequate handling of seaweed…
  • sargassum-free-beaches-quintana-roo-summer-2025Sargassum-Free Beaches in Quintana Roo for Summer 2025, including beaches in Cancún Travelers looking for sargassum-free beaches in Quintana Roo this summer can still find clear waters in Isla Mujeres and parts of Cancún, according to updated reports. As the summer travel season ramps up, much of the Caribbean coast is once again dealing with sargassum, the brown seaweed that washes ashore in thick mats and affects…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-landslide-hurricane-erickHeavy rains flood Puerto Vallarta streets and trigger landslide in tunnel Flooding from remnants of Hurricane Erick paralyzed key roads in Puerto Vallarta and caused a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio tunnel, Civil Protection continues damage assessment. The city of Puerto Vallarta was overwhelmed Thursday night by heavy rainfall that caused major flooding, stranded vehicles, and triggered a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio bypass…
  • Body with signs of crocodile attack found in Ameca River, a leg was found last monthBeaches Closed in Nuevo Vallarta and Lo de Marcos After Crocodile Sighting Authorities temporarily close beaches in Nuevo Vallarta and Lo de Marcos after a crocodile was spotted in shallow waters. Tourists are urged to follow lifeguard guidance. Beaches in Nuevo Vallarta and Lo de Marcos were temporarily closed to the public on Friday, June 20, after a crocodile was spotted swimming close to shore, prompting swift…
  • bus-crashes-canal-puerto-vallartaBus crashes into canal in Puerto Vallarta’s 5 de Diciembre neighborhood A public transport bus crashed into a drainage canal in Puerto Vallarta’s 5 de Diciembre area. Authorities responded quickly, and no serious injuries were reported. A public transport bus veered off the road and plunged into a stormwater canal early Thursday morning in Puerto Vallarta’s 5 de Diciembre neighborhood, sparking concern among locals but leaving…
  • heavy-rain-flooding-landslides-puerto-vallartaTrash-Choked Drains Make Puerto Vallarta Flooding Worse During Heavy Rain Overflowing storm drains clogged with garbage are fueling flooding in Puerto Vallarta, officials warn, as rains bring chaos to multiple neighborhoods. As heavy rain swept across Puerto Vallarta Thursday night and into Friday morning, flooding was widespread—but officials say much of the chaos was avoidable. The city’s stormwater drains, overwhelmed not just by rainfall but…
  • Know your consumer rights in Mexico Is it legal for restaurants to include the tipPuerto Vallarta restaurants face 33 percent staff shortage Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta face a 33% staffing shortfall as they prepare for a busy summer holiday season, aiming to boost sales by up to 60% despite ongoing labor challenges. As Puerto Vallarta prepares to welcome a surge of summer tourists, the city’s restaurant sector is grappling with a serious staffing problem—operating with roughly one-third…
  • tropical-storm-erick-warnings-mexico-coastHurricane Erick will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Erick Puerto Vallarta will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta by Friday but poses no risk to the northern coast of Jalisco. Meteorologist Víctor Manuel Cornejo López, of the Civil Protection scientific committee for the Bay, reports that Hurricane Erick will deliver significant rainfall to Puerto Vallarta without threatening the region’s safety. According to…
Scroll to Top