Gender Differences in Patient-Physician Communication in Ophthalmic Practice, Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Period

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Communication
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Physician communication significantly impacts patient satisfaction and adherence.
• Understanding gender-based communication patterns is crucial in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in ophthalmologist communication patterns.
• To analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced these communication dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study analyzing patient messages from 2017-2022.
• Examined message count, response length, and response time by physician gender and year.
• Data collected from ophthalmic patients at Penn Medicine.

Main Results:

• Female ophthalmologists sent longer responses (672 vs 637 characters) and more messages per patient (5.5 vs 3.0).
• The COVID-19 pandemic period (2020-2022) showed an increase in these gender communication differences.
• Male ophthalmologists initially had more same-day responses, but female ophthalmologists led in later pandemic years (2021-2022).

Conclusions:

• Significant gender disparities exist in ophthalmologist communication styles.
• The COVID-19 pandemic altered and, in some aspects, widened these gender communication gaps.
• Further research is needed to link communication patterns to patient outcomes and physician well-being.