Primary Care Delivery Perceptions and Their Associations with Physician and Patient Gender

Area of Science:

• Healthcare delivery
• Patient satisfaction
• Physician gender bias

Background:

• Patient preferences and perceptions significantly influence healthcare experiences.
• Understanding gender-based preferences in primary care is crucial for optimizing patient-physician relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient opinions on perceived differences in care provided by male and female physicians.
• To analyze gender-based preferences for primary care physicians (PCPs).

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to patients at Mayo Clinic, Arizona, via the electronic health record.
• The survey assessed patient opinions on their PCP's overall capabilities and perceived gender-based differences in care.
• 4983 patient responses were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A majority of female patients (78.1%) preferred a female PCP, compared to male patients (32.7%).
• Female patients reported higher overall opinions of female physicians.
• Male patients were less likely to have a better opinion and more likely to have a worse opinion of female physicians compared to female patients.

Conclusions:

• Female patients, more so than male patients, prefer female physicians as PCPs and hold them in higher regard.
• Findings may inform PCP assignment strategies and provide context for patient satisfaction metrics.