Female physicians outperformed their male colleagues on key medical outcomes in a recent study. Researchers reported in JAMA Internal Medicine that hospitalized Medicare patients were less likely to die during hospitalization when they were under women doctors’ care. They were also less likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
How Well Did Patients Do?
The authors estimate that if male doctors performed as well as their female counterparts, 32,000 fewer older Americans would die every year. The study was based on an analysis of more than 1.5 million Medicare patients who had been hospitalized. Within 30 days of hospitalization, these individuals, who were being treated for a range of medical problems, fared better if their physician was female.
Some Ideas on Why Women Doctors’ Care Was Better:
The researchers could not explain why the outcomes were better. Other studies have suggested that female doctors spend more time communicating with patients and their families and are more likely to follow clinical guidelines. Perhaps this helps explain the difference noted in this study.
A Gender Gap:
Women doctors don’t earn as much as their male counterparts. Perhaps it is finally time for the health care system to do as an accompanying editorial suggests and award equal pay for better work.
