Physician gender and primary care patient satisfaction: no evidence of "feminization"

Observers predict that the influx of women into the medical profession will alter the way in which medicine is practiced, incorporating more "feminine" values of caring, listening to patients, and patient centeredness, in contrast to the "masculine" values of curing, dictating to patients, and care provider centeredness. Consequently, patient satisfaction with medical care will improve.

Retrospective database analysis of satisfaction survey data. A total of 3985 surveys from primary care patients were examined after having identified the gender of the patient's physician. Ten survey items that pertained to physician attributes were analyzed, individually and in the aggregate, in a series of 2 x 2 analyses of covariance, with physician gender and patient gender serving as independent variables, and patient age and the overall level of patient satisfaction from the physician's facility serving as covariates. An additional analysis of covariance, with the same independent variables and covariates, examined patients expressed likelihood of recommending their physician to others.

There were no main or interaction effects for physician gender or patient gender after adjusting for patient age and facility-level satisfaction. The implications of these results for the "feminization" hypothesis are discussed.