Patients often don't consider their doctor's gender when seeking care. But a rigorous study in JAMA Internal Medicine, analyzing four years of Medicare data from 1.5 million hospital visits, reveals significant differences. Patients treated by female physicians had lower mortality (11.07% vs. 11.49%) and readmission rates (15.02% vs. 15.57%) than those treated by male physicians. If male physicians matched these outcomes, around 32,000 lives could be saved annually.
Why the disparity? Prior research shows female physicians often adhere more closely to evidence-based practices. The study addresses a counterpoint: "Despite evidence showing that women provide better quality care, some argue that career interruptions related to pregnancy, the higher rate of part-time work, and other trade-offs made for the balance between family life and professional life, may explain the better quality of treatment for female doctors." In short, fewer hours might mean fewer errors.
University of Chicago professor Vineet Arora suggests a multifaceted cause: "It may be a little more specific to the doctor, or the way the patient feels about this doctor."
These insights could help close the pay gap, where U.S. female specialists earn about $20,000 less annually than male peers.
