Female Physicians Associated With Lower Mortality in Hospitalized Medical Patients

A population-based retrospective cohort study of 958,150 adults hospitalized in Ontario from 2008 to 2022 examined physician sex and patient outcomes. Care by female physicians was associated with lower adjusted 30-day mortality and slightly lower readmission, but the observational design cannot establish causation.

Cohort included 958,150 hospitalized adults in Ontario.
Female-physician care was associated with lower 30-day mortality.
Readmission differences were small.
Observational findings do not establish causation.

Researchers analyzed administrative data for 958,150 adults admitted to hospitals in Ontario with one of seven common acute medical conditions between 2008 and 2022. The population-based retrospective cohort study assessed physician sex using both the sex of the most responsible physician and the proportion of inpatient days managed by a female physician. Primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and hospital readmission; models adjusted for patient, physician, and hospital characteristics.

Adjusted 30-day mortality was 12.3% among patients cared for by female physicians and 13.7% among those cared for by male physicians (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.85-0.91). Readmission was 18.6% versus 18.9%, respectively (AOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-1.00). For each 10-percentage-point increase in inpatient days managed by a female physician, the AOR was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.97) for mortality and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-0.99) for readmission.

The findings show associations, not evidence that physician sex causes differences in outcomes. The authors said further research is needed to investigate possible mechanisms and differences in practice patterns; the abstract does not provide results for the secondary 90-day and 1-year outcomes or length of stay.

In practice

For adults hospitalized with one of seven common acute medical conditions in Ontario, care by a female physician was associated with lower adjusted 30-day mortality than care by a male physician. The study does not establish that physician sex caused the outcome differences, and the authors call for further work to examine mechanisms and practice patterns. These observational findings do not support changing physician assignment or other clinical practice on their own.

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Source

JAMA Network Open: Physician Sex and Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients ↗

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