From: rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari)
Subject: Re: Women DOCTORS
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 14:34:08 GMT

In article <92361.095942MIWHC@CUNYVM.BITNET> <MIWHC@CUNYVM.BITNET> writes:
>     I am looking for any sort of data/statistics on how patients feel about
>women doctors. As yet, I have found nothing. I get the impression that both
>older men and women prefer men doctors, middle-aged men prefer men doctors,
>middle-aged women prefer women doctors and both younger men and younger
>women prefer women doctors.


	I think you're going to run into serious problems in attempting
	such a corrolation.

	For instance, most kids and teens are saddled with their family
	physician, whoever he or she may be, and their preference is
	unimportant.  (Not to mention the large numbers who have no
	choice at all through a first-come-first-serve system like
	Kaiser Permanente) 

	Further, I think it would be pretty hard to develop a preference
	(a comparative one) when most people see perhaps 4 or 5 different
	doctors in their lifetime--people don't really comparison shop--
	they take the one that's closest, most convenient,or known to
	them.

	Finally, I know that your last assertion is false:  young men
	prefer male doctors.  While they have trepidations about homosexuality
	and another man seeing them unclothed (not to mention--gasp!--
	touching them) they are much more uncomfortable around a female 
	doctor.

	I suspect that it's the opposite, as well.  


>     These are only impressions I have received from speaking with various
>women doctors about their patients. 


	Not a really reliable source.  To discover patient preferences,
	you have to talk to the patients.  But I suspect most of the 
	time the answer would be "Hm, I never really thought about it before."


>Obviously, the fact that women are finally
>becoming doctors in much greater numbers must have something to do with this,
>but I am more interested with the QUALITY of the medical care.



	Quality would vary much more in terms of location (private offive
	vs. mall-like group health association), training (medical school),
	and the doctors competence (or competent demeanor). 


>It seems that the rate of malpractice suits are lower for women, but
>again, I need data. 


	It's probably not true, but then again--there are fewer women
	in the really risky occupations (and fewer men all the time as 
	well).  Lawsuits per person adjusted for the specialization 
	would probably debunk this one, while raw-numbers will of course
	be higer for men--not only because of the added risks that
	some men carry due to their specialization, but also because
	there are simply more men.


>I also get the impression from speaking with various
>women dentists, physicians, optometrists and surgeons that women seem to be
>much more concerned with the patient's fear, comfort, and general well-being,


	Sounds more like the typical stereotype of women to me.  I have
	met nice doctors and mean doctors and techie doctors and goofy
	doctors of both genders (I've seen a lot of doctors--spinal problems)
	and I never noticed a corrolation.  


>while the male doctors I've spoken with seem to talk more about their
>technique and various difficult cases. Again, no data.


	And the typical male stereotype.


	(not that there isn't some truth to both)

-- 
	This weakness that you've told us of, it must be very comforting
	to have some make-believe specter on which to lay your blame.

	Blaming society for your problems is like blaming clouds for rain.
Xref: sparky alt.feminism:6498 rec.autos:30430