Canada · 5 d ago
Ontario study links female hospital doctors to lower patient death rates
Adults studied
958,150 hospital patients
The study covered adults hospitalized in Ontario for one of seven common conditions, including pneumonia, between 2008 and 2022.
Female physicians
12.3%
Male physicians
13.7%
Patients cared for by female physicians had a 30-day mortality rate of 12.3 per cent, against 13.7 per cent for those treated by male physicians.
Readmissions were slightly lower too, at 18.6 per cent against 18.9 per cent. The lower death rate persisted at 90 days and at one year.
Lead author Angela Jerath says female physicians may communicate in a more patient-centred way, spend more time with patients and follow guidelines more often. The goal, she says, is not to favour one group but to improve care.
