Ken Pope alerted readers to a forthcoming issue of JAMA: Surgery which has scheduled a study for publication in a future issue of the journal: “Surgeon Sex and Long-Term Postoperative Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Common Surgeries.” 

Here’s how it opens:

The sociodemographic characteristics of physicians, including age and sex, are associated with patients’ healthcare outcomes. Across many medical contexts, female physicians have better patient outcomes than male physicians. The reasons underpinning this are multifactorial but appear to include differences in communication, practice style, and the physician-patient relationship may also include qualitative differences in practice including patient selection.

In an observational study including more than 1 million adults undergoing common surgeries in Canada, patients treated by female surgeons had better postoperative outcomes (captured as a composite of 30-day mortality, readmission, and complications) than those treated by male surgeons.

Among the 1,165 ,711 included patients, 151, 054 were treated by a female surgeon 23.3% and 76.7% 7 were treated by a male surgeon.

This large population-based multidisciplinary cohort study found that patients treated by female surgeons had significantly lower long-term (90-day and 1-year) rates of adverse postoperative outcomes than those treated by male surgeons. 

Here’s how the article concludes:

In this large population-based cohort study, patients treated by female surgeons had significantly lower long-term (90-day and 1-year) rates of adverse postoperative outcomes than those treated by male surgeons. These data add to the growing literature showing that patients cared for by female physicians (including surgeons) appear to fare better than those being cared for by male physicians. Despite these data, women continue to be marginalized in the workplace in many ways. To provide the best patient care, organizations should support women physicians and learn how they accomplish these improved outcomes.

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