Mavis Brian, Vasilenko Peter, Schnuth Rae, Marshall Joseph, Jeffs Madeline Colavito
Office of Medical Education Research and Development, A202 East Fee Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1316, USA.
Acad Med. 2005 Dec;80(12):1159-65. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200512000-00022.
In obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn), a physician's gender can affect patients' access to care as well as medical education curricula and career counseling. The authors focused on the importance that female patients place on various physician characteristics, and how this importance varied by patients' characteristics and compared for family practitioners, obstetrician-gynecologists, and surgeons.
In 1999-2000, an anonymous questionnaire was distributed for one week to all women scheduled for an ob-gyn visit at six community campuses of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. The first section of the questionnaire listed 16 physician characteristics and asked patients to rate the importance of each using a six-point scale (1 = not at all important, to 6 = very important). The items were presented three times, in reference to the patients' choice of a family physician, ob-gyn, and surgeon. The questionnaire also asked for patients' demographic information. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient demographics and ratings. Multivariate relationships were tested using analyses of variance (repeated-measures analysis of variance [ANOVA]) and multiple regression.
In the 1,059 completed questionnaires, items related to physician gender were among the lowest rated, regardless of specialty. A factor analysis resulted in a three factor solution: Interpersonal Communications, Clinical Competence, and Gender. Interpersonal Communications ratings varied least by physician specialty and patient characteristics; Gender ratings varied most. Physician behaviors rather than physician attributes play an important role in women's choices.
For most women, physician gender was one of the least important characteristics, regardless of specialty. Excellent skills might give all physicians an edge in patients' choice decisions, a finding contrary to widely held beliefs about more limited future opportunities for men in some specialties.
在妇产科领域，医生的性别会影响患者获得医疗服务的机会，以及医学教育课程和职业咨询。作者关注女性患者对医生各种特征的重视程度，以及这种重视程度如何因患者特征而异，并对家庭医生、妇产科医生和外科医生进行了比较。
在1999 - 2000年期间，一份匿名问卷在密歇根州立大学人类医学院六个社区校区预约进行妇产科就诊的所有女性中发放了一周。问卷的第一部分列出了16项医生特征，并要求患者使用六点量表（1 = 完全不重要，至6 = 非常重要）对每项特征的重要性进行评分。这些项目针对患者对家庭医生、妇产科医生和外科医生的选择分三次呈现。问卷还询问了患者的人口统计学信息。描述性统计用于总结患者的人口统计学特征和评分。使用方差分析（重复测量方差分析[ANOVA]）和多元回归测试多变量关系。
在1059份完成的问卷中，无论专业如何，与医生性别相关的项目评分都是最低的。因子分析得出了一个三因子解决方案：人际沟通、临床能力和性别。人际沟通评分因医生专业和患者特征的差异最小；性别评分差异最大。医生的行为而非医生的属性在女性的选择中起重要作用。
对于大多数女性来说，无论专业如何，医生性别都是最不重要的特征之一。出色的技能可能会让所有医生在患者的选择决策中具有优势，这一发现与关于某些专业男性未来机会更有限的广泛看法相反。
