Journal Article

Patient Preference for Physician Gender in the Emergency Department

Wang, Henry E, Moore, Justin Xavier, Rodgers, Joel B, Walter, Lauren A, Nolen, Haley A

2016

Overview

Despite historical gender bias against female physicians, few studies have investigated patients' physician gender preference in the emergency department (ED) setting. We sought to determine if there is an association between ED patient demographics and physician gender preference. We surveyed patients presenting to an ED to determine association between patient demographics and patient physician gender preference for five ED situations: 1) 'routine' visit, 2) emergency visit, 3) 'sensitive' medical visit, 4) minor surgical/'procedural' visit, and 5) 'bad news' delivery. A total of 200 ED patients were surveyed. The majority of ED patients reported no physician gender preference for 'routine' visits (89.5 percent), 'emergent' visits (89 percent), 'sensitive' medical visits (59 percent), 'procedural' visits (89 percent) or when receiving 'bad news' (82 percent). In the setting of 'routine' visits and 'sensitive' medical visits, there was a propensity for same-sex physician preference.

• Publisher: Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine,YJBM
• Subject: Adult / Age / Age Factors / Bias / Communication / Demographics / Demography / Divorce / Education / Emergency medical care / Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data / Ethnicity / Female / Females / Gender / Humans / Male / Medical screening / Medicine / Middle Aged / Original Contribution / Patient Preference - statistics & numerical data / Patient satisfaction / Patients / Physician patient relationships / Physician-Patient Relations / Physicians / Preferences / Secondary schools / Sex discrimination / Sex Factors / Surveys and Questionnaires / Women / Young Adult