Conference Coverage

Are women and men with rheumatism treated equally?


 

AT THE GERMAN RHEUMATOLOGY CONGRESS 2023

Recognition and training

A large-scale surgical study in 2021 made a few waves. The study analyzed whether it makes a difference if women are operated on by men or by women. The results showed that women who had been operated on by men exhibited a higher level of risk after the surgery, compared with men who had been operated on by men or by women. The risk took the following forms:

  • 15% higher risk for a worse surgery result
  • 16% higher risk for complications
  • 11% higher risk for repeat hospitalization
  • 20% higher risk for a longer period of hospitalization
  • 32% higher risk for mortality

The study authors provided the following potential reasons for these differences:

  • Male physicians underestimate the severity of symptoms in their female patients
  • Women are less comfortable indicating their postoperative pain to a male physician
  • Different working style and treatment decisions between female and male physicians
  • Unconsciously incorporated role patterns and preconceptions

“Our potential solutions are recognition and training. We need a personalized style of medicine; we need to have a closer look. We owe our male and female patients as much,” said Dr. Späthling-Mestekemper.

This article was translated from the Medscape German Edition and a version appeared on Medscape.com.

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