Do Otolaryngology Patients Show Gender Preference When Choosing a Surgeon? — A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Introduction Otorhinolaryngology has always been considered a gender-neutral specialty, whereas in several other specialties, such as obstetrics, gynecology and urology, gender preference has been consistently shown by patients when choosing their treating surgeon. To date, no study has been performed to analyze whether this practice of gender preference is prevalent in otorhinolaryngology patients too. Objectives To identify if gender preference exists in the field of otorhinolaryngology, specifically in its four subspecialties, namely otology, pediatric otolaryngology, laryngology and head and neck surgery. Methods Patients attending our outpatient department were asked to complete a preformed proforma. The pro forma consisted of two parts, demographic details of the subjects and gender preference in the following subspecialties: otology, pediatric otolaryngology, laryngology and head and neck oncosurgery. Results A total of 1,112 subjects took part in the study, out of which 1,089 subjects were included in the final analysis. Female gender preference was highest in the field of pediatric otolaryngology, while male preference was highest for head and neck oncosurgery. Conclusion Though otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery has been considered a gender-neutral field, subspecialties of this field show considerable gender preference.

Satisfaction in Academic Otolaryngology: Do Physician Demographics Impact Press Ganey Survey Scores?

“…In the field of head and neck oncology, male providers were preferred over female (26% to 12%). In pediatric otolaryngology, female providers were requested by 31% of patients versus only 16% who preferred to see a male provider . In our study, male and female pediatric otolaryngologists were rated similarly: 4.68 (male) and 4.70 (female).…”

“…Importantly, this study did not include race as a factor because physician race was not readily available as public data. This may present a confounding variable, as previous research has demonstrated that race‐concordant care is associated with improved patient satisfaction . Despite these shortcomings, this report reviews information that is presented for patient consumption and thereby may be used by patients in making decisions regarding their care.…”

Perception of male otolaryngologists on gender discrimination: a comparative study

“…Even though both MORLs and FORLs mostly agree on patients having confidence to MORLs and their preference for male surgeons, there is a noticeable divergence in the higher numbers of neutral answers of FORLs and the higher numbers in MORLs' disagreement ( Table 2). As a matter of fact, patients' gender preference may differ depending on subspecialty; for example, head and neck oncology patients prefer males, while females are more preferred in pediatric otolaryngology [18]. On contrary, potential impact of physician's gender on patients' preference is not demonstrated in a study by Tracy LF et al [19].…”

Societal Preferences for Gender of Surgeons: A Cross‐Sectional Study in the General Population of Pakistan

“…Although patients’ gender preferences with regards to surgeons are not fully understood, they are believed to be determined by multifactorial social and cultural influences. In Western countries such as the USA, studies across surgical subspecialties including orthopedics surgery [13, 14], oral and maxillofacial surgery [15], plastic surgery [16], and otolaryngology [17] have shown the largest percentage of patients to have no gender preference in surgeons. On the other hand, in non‐Western countries, patients are more likely to demonstrate preference for gender concordance when choosing surgeons in subspecialties that entail sensitive physical examinations, such as obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN), breast surgery, and urology.…”