PATIENTS OF FEMALE DOCTORS ARE LESS LIKELY TO DIE IN HOSPITAL, HUGE STUDY FINDS

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If you have ever felt more at ease with a female GP, a major new study suggests there may be more to it than a good bedside manner.

Researchers in Canada have found that hospital patients cared for by female doctors were less likely to die within 30 days than those treated by male doctors.

The study, published on 30 October in the journal JAMA Network Open, is one of the largest of its kind.

What the female doctors study looked at

The team analysed the records of 958,150 adults admitted to hospital in Ontario between January 2008 and December 2022.

The patients had a median age of 74, and just over half were men.

Between them they were cared for by 15,165 doctors, of whom 36.1 per cent were women.

The researchers focused on seven common reasons for admission: heart failure, heart attack, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Each patient was matched to the "most responsible physician", the doctor in charge of their care.

Around 27 per cent had a female doctor in charge and 73 per cent had a male doctor.

The key findings

Among patients with a female doctor, 12.3 per cent died within 30 days, compared with 13.7 per cent of those with a male doctor.

After adjusting for other factors, that worked out to around 12 per cent lower odds of dying.

The more of a hospital stay a patient spent under a female doctor, the better the outcome appeared to be.

Every extra 10 per cent of days under a female doctor was linked to 7 per cent lower odds of dying within a month.

The lower death rates also held at 90 days and at one year.

Rates of readmission within 30 days, however, were almost identical, at 18.6 per cent and 18.9 per cent.

Women patients saw the biggest difference

Perhaps the most striking finding for our readers is that the gap was wider for female patients.

Women treated by female doctors saw a drop of 1.29 percentage points in the death rate, compared with 0.75 points for men.

The research, reported by News-Medical, was led by Dr Angela Jerath, an associate professor at the University of Toronto and a scientist at ICES.

Why might this be?

It is important to say that this study shows a link, not proof that one causes the other.

The authors suggest some possible explanations, such as more patient-centred communication, spending more time with patients, and closely following clinical guidelines.

These are ideas to explore, rather than findings of the study itself.

One strength of the research is that patients admitted for medical conditions are usually assigned doctors on rotating rosters, so they did not get to pick who looked after them.

Dr Jerath was clear that the aim is not to pit doctors against each other.

"The goal is not to favour one group of physicians over another," she said.

What it means for you

None of this means you should refuse care from a male doctor, and the vast majority of patients in the study, whoever treated them, went home.

What it does show is that how care is delivered matters, and that there may be lessons every doctor can learn from.

If you or someone you love is heading into hospital, it is always worth asking questions, bringing a support person and speaking up if something does not feel right.

Good communication goes both ways, and you are entitled to understand your care.

The researchers hope future studies will pinpoint exactly which habits make the difference, so that all patients can benefit.

In the meantime, it is a welcome reminder of the value women bring to medicine, and of why a diverse workforce is good for everyone.