Does the gender of a doctor influence a patient’s chances of recovery? A large Canadian study suggests it might. Researchers examining nearly one million hospital admissions found measurable differences in survival and readmission rates depending on whether patients received care from male or female physicians. The findings raise intriguing questions about how communication styles, treatment decisions and approaches to patient care may influence medical outcomes, potentially offering valuable lessons for improving healthcare.

Led by Dr Angela Jerath, a scientist at ICES and Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the research expands on earlier studies that primarily examined surgical patients. Rather than focusing exclusively on the physician responsible for admitting a patient, the team investigated how care provided by different doctors throughout a hospital stay might affect recovery. The researchers sought to understand whether physician sex was associated with outcomes across a broader range of common medical conditions.

Using health records from ICES, the researchers analysed 958,150 adults admitted to hospital between January 2008 and December 2022 for seven common medical diagnoses, including heart attacks and pneumonia. Among these patients, 259,759 received care from female physicians, while 698,391 were treated by male physicians. Because hospital patients frequently encounter multiple doctors during their admission, the study also examined whether spending more time under the care of female physicians was associated with better health outcomes.

The results revealed a notable difference in mortality rates. Within 30 days, 12.3% of patients cared for by female physicians had died, compared with 13.7% of those treated by male physicians. Hospital readmission rates were also slightly lower among patients receiving care from female doctors, at 18.6% versus 18.9%. Furthermore, greater exposure to female physicians during hospitalisation was associated with 7% lower odds of death within 30 days. Similar trends appeared when researchers examined outcomes after 90 days and one year, suggesting that the association extended beyond immediate hospital care.

What might explain these differences? Researchers suggest that female physicians may be more inclined towards patient-centred communication, spending additional time discussing symptoms, concerns and treatment options. They may also be more likely to follow recommended clinical guidelines, seek input from colleagues and involve patients in medical decisions. However, these explanations remain possibilities rather than proven causes, and the observational findings do not establish that physician gender itself determines the quality of care.

Jerath emphasised that the objective is not to favour female physicians over male colleagues, but to identify beneficial practices that could improve treatment for everyone. An important strength of the research is that medical patients are generally assigned doctors through rotating hospital schedules, reducing the influence of patient preferences and referral bias. The researchers now hope further investigations will clarify which clinical behaviours contribute to the observed differences and whether similar patterns exist in other healthcare systems and countries.

More information: Angela Jerath et al, Physician Sex and Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients, JAMA Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026/41487

Journal information: JAMA Network Open Provided by Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences