An Analysis of the Impact of Gender on Physician Practice Patterns

Abstract

Through analysis of Community Tracking Study Physician Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. physicians, we find that women physicians are significantly less satisfied with time for patients than their male colleagues. Among primary care physicians, about one third of the gender difference is explained by physician attributes, practice characteristics, geographical location and patient profiles. Control variables explain all of the gender gap among specialist physicians. Among primary care physicians, the effects of practice type and perceptions of patient complexity on satisfaction with time for patients are mediated by physician gender. Among specialist physicians, gender interacts with practice ownership and hours spent in medically related activity to determine satisfaction with time for patients.