Gender Differences in Verbal Behavior Style in Interviews in Family Medicine: Mars and Venus, or North Dakota and South Dakota?

Abstract

Objective: To describe and compare the doctor-patient communication referred to the verbal behavior of the female patients vs. males in the family medicine consultation. Participants and Methods:Secondary analysis of existing dataset coded to explore patient-clinician verbal communication during ambulatory visits in a family medicine office in a health Centre in Toledo (Spain) was carried out. The audio recording of the consultations and verbal content analysis of the interviews, based on the identification of 6 categories of classification of behaviors of the interaction process (Proposing, Supporting/ Agreeing, Disagreeing, Giving Information, Seeking Information, and Building) was performed. A convenience sample was carried out. Other variables included were age, sex and duration of the consultation in minutes. Triangulation between different evaluators, and methodological (qualitative and quantitative) was used as a technique to control the reliability and biases. Once the qualitative study is completed, the results of the number of behaviors in the total of triadic and dyadic consultations were presented in a quantitative way (Frequencies: No, %). The bivariate comparisons were performed using the test of Chi squared and exact probability Fischer.Results: 20 consultations were included in the analysis. In interviews with women vs. males, differed only in showing more "Supporting" (39% and 29%, respectively; p=0.05), and less "Disagreement" (3% and 11% respectively; p<0.05). There were no differences in the verbal behaviors of the physician in the consultations with female vs. male patients. There were also no differences in the duration of the consultation among female patients vs. males (7': rank: 3'-15' vs. 7'; rank: 4'-12'). Conclusion:The verbal behavior in interview in the family medicine consultation with female patients vs. males shows only small differences. Neither men are of Mars nor the women of Venus; may be men are from North Dakota and women from South Dakota.

Differences in Verbal Behaviour Style in Interviews of Patients Females with Patients Companion (Triads) and Without Patient's Companion (Dyads) in Family Medicine

“…On the other hand, the verbal behaviours of the women seem to be more useful to obtain better results in the consultation. Women's conversations focus more frequently on feelings, relationships, and personal problems [31] and present more verbal behaviours of "Supporting," and less "Disagreement [7]. We found that the female patients with a companion show 2/3 more verbal behaviours than when the female patients go unaccompanied (165 vs.…”

“…The methodology of the study was qualitative, observational, and narrative and has already been described previously [6,7]. Through the audio recording of the consultation, the verbal content of the interviews was analysed, based on the identification of 6 categories of classification of the behaviours in meetings that describe the class or behavioural style of the interaction process, not its content [8]:…”

“…Regarding verbal communication in the triadic consultations there are more agreements and more initiatives are proposed, but no more information is obtained than in the dyadic and with the cost of a longer duration of the consultation [6]. The verbal behaviour of female patients shows slightly more agreements/supports and fewer disagreements, than that of male patients [7]; that are to say they show a profile that favours better results. But, 25% of patients are accompanied, and preferably of women.…”

An Application of the Theory of Representative Bureaucracy, Gender Concordance, and Symbolic Representation in the Health Care Context

“…Although, on average, female physicians spend more time with patients than male physicians, some male physicians spend more time with their female patients than female physicians (Roter et al, 1999) and others highlight that female physicians spending more time with patients than male physicians results in the unintended effect of limiting the number of clients that female physicians are able to provide care for (Jefferson et al, 2013). In some contexts, gender does not result in differences in the verbal behavior of female and male physicians (Turabian et al, 2017) and there are many factors, such as the duration of symptoms and the intervention a client receives, that are not impacted by a clinician's gender (Jackson et al, 2003). While gender concordance contributes to improved patient perception of quality of care, some studies suggest it does not impact adherence to provider recommendations (Zhao et al, 2019).…”