Women patients who are treated by women doctors in hospital may be less likely to die or be readmitted, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers examined Medicare records for nearly 800,000 patients aged 65 and older who were hospitalized in the US between 2016 and 2019. The study included more than 458,000 women and 319,000 men.
Among women patients, 8.15% died within 30 days when treated by women doctors, compared with 8.38% when treated by men doctors.
While the difference was small, researchers described it as clinically meaningful. They estimated that closing the gap could potentially save around 5,000 women’s lives each year.
The study also found a similar pattern in hospital readmissions.
What about men patients?
The difference was much smaller among men. 10.15% of men patients died within 30 days when treated by women doctors, compared with 10.23% when treated by men doctors.
The gender of the doctor did not appear to have a meaningful effect on the risk of death or hospital readmission among men.
Professor Yusuke Tsugawa, one of the study’s authors, said that if women and men doctors practiced medicine in the same way, patient outcomes would not be expected to differ.
However, the study does not establish exactly why women patients had better outcomes when treated by women doctors.
Why might women patients benefit?
Researchers pointed to several possible explanations based on earlier research.
Women have often reported that their pain and symptoms are dismissed or not taken seriously.
Previous studies suggest that men doctors may be more likely to underestimate women’s pain and symptoms, including those linked to heart problems, digestive illnesses and strokes.
Communication may also play a role.
Women doctors tend to spend more time with their patients, while women patients may feel more comfortable discussing sensitive symptoms or undergoing certain examinations with women doctors.
Dr. Atsushi Miyawaki, the study’s lead author, said earlier research suggests women may experience less miscommunication, misunderstanding and bias when treated by women doctors.
A wider problem in healthcare
The findings add to growing research into differences in the healthcare women receive.
Women are less likely than men to receive intensive care and are more likely to report having their concerns dismissed or their pain and symptoms ignored.
Previous research has also found that women can wait longer in emergency departments and may be less likely to receive effective pain relief.
Other studies have found similar differences when it comes to surgery.
A 2021 study published in JAMA Surgery found that women patients had fewer complications when their surgeon was a woman. A 2023 study found that patients operated on by women surgeons had fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said women doctors tend to communicate and listen more closely, and patients often report better communication with them.
More research is needed to understand what is behind the differences in care and how those findings could be used to improve health outcomes.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that how women’s symptoms are heard, understood and treated can have an important impact on their health.
