Studies suggest varying satisfaction levels depending on physician gender.
The communication style of female physicians often includes slightly more focus on the patient's emotional and psychosocial concerns, more positively toned communications, and a more egalitarian style reflected in increased levels of patient participation. However, because patients' satisfaction with female physicians does not typically exceed that for male physicians, other factors may influence satisfaction ratings. Although empirical interest in this topic is rather recent 1 and the number of available studies is limited, there is a growing body of research that uses objective methods to document communication between patients and physicians, and some broad conclusions can be drawn. In this article, we summarize findings from the literature and from our own research program. It is important to caution the reader that the causal nature of these gender differences remains unclear.