Spurred on by the increasing number of women attending medical school in America (women currently make up 50% of med students), researchers have been studying how gender influences a physician’s style. Several studies have shown that a female physician tends to be more reassuring and encouraging, asks more psychosocial questions, uses shared decision-making, and spends more time (up to 10% more) with her patients than a male physician does. Research also found that the patient’s gender will determine how she or he feels about their doctor – as much, if not more, than the doctor’s. While gender plays an important role in a patient-doctor relationship, its influence cannot be simplified to a statement like: A female physician is more sympathetic. American and Swiss researchers found that patients, depending on their gender, had different opinions on female and male physicians’ displays of concern. Male patients were more content regardless of the doctor’s gender and style of communication, while female patients were a lot more specific regarding their evaluation of a doctor. They were most satisfied with a female physician who expressed great empathy and concern and was extremely reassuring. What is really interesting is that when the doctor was a male, women patients did not like overt displays of caring. They actually preferred less reassurance and empathy from a male physician. All our primary care providers at A Woman’s View, as well as all other providers, are female. We understand the needs of a woman, and our goal is to be caring and compassionate – a belief that’s embraced in our tagline: Excellent Healthcare for Women, By Women. We serve Hickory, NC and surrounding areas of Catawba County. Source
