Hospitalized Patients Have Better Outcomes If Their Physicians Are Women

Female physicians are more likely than male physicians to adhere to clinical guidelines, provide preventive care, and demonstrate patient-centered behaviors, according to published observational studies from ambulatory care settings. Whether these favorable characteristics translate into better hard outcomes in inpatient settings is unclear.

Researchers examined Medicare data for 1.6 million hospitalized patients and the characteristics of the 58,344 hospitalists predominantly responsible for their inpatient care. A third of the physicians were women; female physicians tended to be younger (average age, 43 vs. 48 for male physicians). Compared with patients cared for by male physicians, patients cared for by female physicians were significan…