A doctor's gender could significantly influence a patient's chances of returning to the hospital, according to the results of a new study. The study, which was conducted recently, involved older patients being treated for common diseases. The study revealed that female physicians are better caregivers.
According to the Chicago Tribune, patients who were treated by female doctors were more likely to get better faster than those treated by a male doctor. Those treated by women were also more likely to leave the hospital alive than those being treated by men.
In the study, about 10 percent of the patients who were treated by women left within a month of entering a hospital. This percentage was calculated in comparison with the 11.5 percent of patients treated by men.
The study was published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal. The research was carried out by an all-male team which estimated that close to 30,000 fewer deaths would occur if male physicians worked at the same level as their female counterparts.
Dr. Ashish Jha, the lead author of the study, said that the study did not look into the reasons for the difference in patient's survival rates. Dr. Jha added that the results do not mean that patients should avoid male physicians. However, male doctors could take tips from the tendencies of women doctors, that could contribute to better patient care.
Dr. Jha said what is important about the study is to understand the differences in care for all physicians, irrespective of gender, to be better care givers. The study looked at data from more than a million hospitals for patients 65 and older. The study periods was carried out between January 2011 and December 2014.
The illnesses of the patients ranged from heart failure, intestinal bleeding, urinary infections, and pneumonia. All the patients were treated by interning doctors.
The researchers compared the results of those cared for by women interns with those cared for by male interns. The results revealed that those treated by women interns were sent home within a month and were less likely to be re-admitted to the hospital that same month.
Watch the video for more information: