Doctors and patients: gender interaction in the consultation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Gender Studies in Medicine
• Patient-Doctor Relationship

Background:

• Previous research on gender differences in medicine primarily focused on female physicians' communication styles.
• Limited research explored the interplay between physician gender and patient gender dynamics.
• This study investigated medical students' perceptions and comfort levels concerning patient gender.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how medical students' gender influences their perceptions and comfort levels during patient consultations.
• To assess the impact of patient gender on medical students' patient-centeredness and values.
• To evaluate comfort levels with intimate physical examinations based on patient gender.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of final-year medical students was conducted.
• Questionnaires assessed patient-centeredness, patient-care values, and comfort with intimate examinations.
• Data were analyzed to identify gender-based differences in student-patient interactions.

Main Results:

• Female students exhibited higher patient-centeredness than male students.
• Both male and female students showed greater attunement to patients of their own gender.
• Students were more comfortable with personal issues than sexual issues and less comfortable with intimate examinations of the opposite gender.
• The female student-female patient dyad demonstrated significantly higher patient-care values than the male student-male patient dyad.

Conclusions:

• Medical student consultations are not gender-neutral, with significant gender interactions observed.
• The findings highlight a powerful interplay between student and patient gender.
• Further research in clinical settings is crucial due to the implications for consultation outcomes.