"Doctor" or "doctora": do patients care?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Patient-Physician Relationship
• Healthcare Preferences

Background:

• Limited research exists on gender preferences in pediatric healthcare.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests children may prefer female physicians for procedures.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding gender preferences in pediatric emergency care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if pediatric patients and their parents have gender preferences for physicians.
• To assess willingness to wait for a preferred physician gender.
• To compare patient and parent gender preferences with preference for physician experience.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 200 children (8-13 years) and their parents in a pediatric emergency department.
• Children were asked about gender preference or preference for the most experienced physician.
• Parents were surveyed on their preferences and willingness to wait for a specific physician gender or experience level.

Main Results:

• 79% of children preferred a female physician for laceration repair; 21% preferred a male physician.
• 60% of parents preferred a male physician; 19% preferred a female physician.
• Children did not prioritize physician experience, while parents were more willing to wait for the most experienced physician.

Conclusions:

• A significant gender preference exists among children for female physicians, contrasting with parental preference for male physicians.
• Physician gender preference in children appears stronger than preference for experience.
• Parents' willingness to wait is higher for physician experience than for physician gender.