Enhancing Women's Healthcare: The Role of Trust in Medicine

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that hospitalized women aged 65 and older are less likely to die or be readmitted within 30 days if treated by female doctors. Research suggests better outcomes due to improved listening skills and empathy from female physicians. The findings highlight the need for attentive and empathetic medical practices.

The study conducted from 2016 to 2019, involving nearly 800,000 patients, found that 8.15% of women treated by female physicians died within 30 days, compared to 8.38% treated by male physicians. This research is part of a growing field examining why women and minorities often receive worse medical care than men and white patients. For instance, women and minority patients are up to 30% more likely to be misdiagnosed than white men, highlighting significant disparities in healthcare outcomes.

Although the difference appears small, closing this gap could potentially save 5,000 women's lives annually, states the study. Atsushi Miyawaki, Assistant Professor, the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, indicates that the improved outcomes for women may be due to reduced "miscommunication, misunderstanding, and bias" when treated by female doctors.

The study titled Burden of Serious Harms From Diagnostic Error underscores the pervasive issue of misdiagnoses faced by women, which can have critical implications such as rehospitalization or, in severe cases, death. NBC News reports that doctors may sometimes harbor stereotypes regarding women's symptoms, attributing them more to emotional or psychological origins, potentially contributing to these diagnostic errors.

“There is a tendency for doctors to harbor sexist stereotypes about women, regardless of age, such as the notion that women’s symptoms are more emotional or their pain is less severe or more psychological in origin,” said Ronald Wyatt, CEO, Achieving Healthcare Equity. Limited training in women's health issues for medical students exacerbates these problems, according to Miyawaki. The study suggests that female physicians, by their understanding of the biases prevalent in healthcare, provide more empathetic and attentive treatment to women, potentially mitigating the impact of these diagnostic errors.

Other studies corroborate the findings. Research published in JAMA Surgery found that female patients experienced fewer complications when operated on by female surgeons. Another study showed that all patients had fewer complications and shorter hospital stays under the care of female surgeons, who typically worked more slowly than their male counterparts.

Despite the benefits observed, experts caution against making sweeping changes based solely on these findings. Preeti Malani, Professor of Medicine, the University of Michigan, emphasized the need to understand the underlying reasons behind these differences rather than advocating for patients to switch to female doctors, exclusively. Similarly, Hardeep Singh, Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, pointed out that hospital care is often team-based, making it difficult to attribute outcomes to a single physician.

Overall, experts advocate for enhancing healthcare for women through several measures, including de-biasing training for doctors, boosting female representation in leadership roles, and improving medical education on women's health. Additionally, the report emphasizes the significance of attentive listening to patients and fostering trust. The study's findings underscore the need to cultivate a healthcare environment where all practitioners prioritize building trust with patients, regardless of gender, ensuring better overall outcomes.