According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, women patients treated by women doctors have a lower likelihood of dying or being readmitted to the hospital.
According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, women patients treated by women doctors have a lower likelihood of dying or being readmitted to the hospital.
In a study involving individuals aged 65 and older, 8.15% of women treated by women doctors died within 30 days, compared to 8.38% for those treated by male doctors.
While the difference between the two groups may seem small, researchers suggest that closing this gap could save the lives of 5,000 women each year.
The study included approximately 800,000 male and women patients hospitalized from 2016 to 2019. It was found that the gender of the doctor did not affect the risk of death or readmission for male patients.
However, these findings alone do not fully explain why women tend to have better outcomes when treated by women doctors. Dr. Atsushi Miyawaki, the lead author of the study and a senior assistant professor in health services research at the University of Tokyo School of Medicine, stated that other studies have shown that female patients treated by women doctors are less likely to experience “communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, and biases.”
“Our pain and our symptoms are often dismissed,” said Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health. “It may be that women physicians are more aware of that and are more empathetic.”
Additionally, the research indicates that while women are less likely to be admitted to intensive care compared to men, they are more likely to report negative experiences with healthcare, have their concerns ignored, and have heart or pain symptoms overlooked. Male doctors are also more likely than women doctors to underestimate women’s risk of stroke.
Education is also identified as an issue
Miyawaki mentioned that medical students receive limited education on women’s health issues.
Dr. Ronald Wyatt shared his daughter’s recent struggle to receive a correct diagnosis for shortness of breath. Despite being told by an emergency room doctor that the problem was asthma, she later discovered she had blood clots in her lungs, which could have been life-threatening.
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, highlighted that many studies have shown that women doctors adhere to medical evidence and guidelines more closely, resulting in better outcomes for their patients.
Source: NBC News