A recent large-scale study in Ontario reveals that patients operated on by male surgeons tend to require more postoperative healthcare resources compared to those treated by their female counterparts. This trend spans various time frames, including within the first 30 days following surgery.
Surgeon Gender Linked to Resource Utilization
Analyzing data from over 1.1 million patients undergoing common surgical procedures between 2007 and 2019, the study found that those treated by male surgeons exhibited a higher need for services such as intensive care unit admissions, additional medical interventions, and discharge care requirements like home care. These differences remained significant even after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics.
Home Care Demands Drive the Difference
The increased resource utilization among male surgeons’ patients was predominantly due to a higher reliance on home care services. This pattern held true across all examined time points, indicating a consistent trend in postoperative care needs linked to the surgeon’s gender.
• Male surgeons’ patients were more likely to require intensive care and additional medical interventions within 90 days post-surgery.
• The propensity for home care utilization was significantly higher among patients operated on by male surgeons across all time frames.
• These findings persisted after controlling for variables such as patient demographics, surgical procedures, and hospital characteristics.
The study underscores the importance of understanding how physician characteristics, including gender, can influence patient outcomes and healthcare resource allocation. Tailoring postoperative care strategies by considering the surgeon’s practice patterns may optimize resource use and enhance patient care.
Further research employing mixed-methods approaches is essential to unravel the underlying causes of these disparities. Factors such as surgical outcomes, patient preferences, and decision-making processes within surgical teams need to be explored to develop targeted interventions that ensure equitable and efficient postoperative care for all patients.
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