Patient-Resident Gender Concordance Influences Perceived Communication Quality in Orthopedic Care

To assess orthopedic residents' communication effectiveness via patient-reported surveys and examine the impact of age, race, and gender concordance on patient perceptions.

This prospective observational study was conducted at a single urban academic institution with an orthopedic residency program. Surveys, including a modified Communication Assessment Tool and custom items, were administered during outpatient visits involving orthopedic residents. Demographic data were collected, and nonparametric statistics with multivariable regression were used to analyze associations between patient-resident demographic concordance and communication ratings. Residents with ≥10 surveys were included.

Ninety-nine surveys evaluating 11 residents were analyzed. Gender-concordant pairs (e.g., male-male, female-female) received significantly higher communication ratings than discordant pairs (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.62), with scores tightly clustered near the maximum. Female patients rated communication more understandable than male patients (p < 0.05, d = 0.74). Older patients reported higher satisfaction than younger ones (p < 0.05). Multivariable regression confirmed that gender and racial concordance significantly predicted higher satisfaction (p < 0.05), while discordant combinations (e.g., elderly patients with senior residents, male patients with racially discordant residents) were associated with lower satisfaction.

Patient-resident gender and racial concordance correlated with higher communication scores. These findings highlight the value of integrating patient feedback and tailored communication training into residency curricula to foster equitable, effective interactions across diverse patient populations.