U.S. study suggests women less likely to die when treated by female doctors

There’s a growing field of study examining why women and minorities tend to receive worse medical care than men and white patients. This study of people ages 65 and older shows that 8.15% of women treated by female physicians died within 30 days, compared with 8.38% of women treated by male physicians. Erasing this gap could save 5,000 women’s lives each year. The data doesn’t explain why women fare better when treated by other women. However, the study’s lead author points to other studies that suggest women are less likely to experience miscommunication, misunderstanding and bias when treated by female doctors. A 2021 study found women patients developed fewer complications if their surgeon was female. Another study in 2023 found patients had fewer complications and shorter hospital stays when they were operated on by female surgeons.