Gender Bias in Urology: How Do Patients Really Choose Their Urologist?

Alexander Tamalunas; Philipp Lenau; Leo Federico Stadelmeier; Jan-Niclas Mumm; Theresa Vilsmaier; Henrik Höhn; Maja-Lena Mumm; Raphaela Waidelich; Jozefina Casuscelli; Giuseppe Magistro; Alexander Buchner; Thomas Kolben; Christian Stief; Martin Hennenberg

doi:10.2147/PPA.S384967

Gender Bias in Urology: How Do Patients Really Choose Their Urologist?

Patient Prefer Adherence. 2022 Nov 3:16:3001-3013. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S384967. eCollection 2022.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
³ Department of Political and Social Sciences, Institute for Media and Communication Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the influence of patients' and urologists' gender when choosing a urologist. With rising population diversity through immigration and generational differences, patient-centered healthcare has recently moved to the focus of European healthcare systems. As healthcare in urology often concentrates on sensitive topics, and often involves gender-specific diseases, research on the influence of gender on decision-making processes is of high importance. Understanding influence of gender on patients' choices in real life would provide patients, and physicians alike, with the means to provide better resources to achieve greater satisfaction from visits to a urologist.

Patients and methods: A questionnaire was prepared, and patients at our tertiary referral center were given the opportunity to voluntarily participate in our survey. We collected questionnaires from 1012 patients during their visits from June 2021 to October 2021.

Results: Patients were divided into groups according to their gender: male (n=763), female (n=246), and non-binary (n=3). Our patient cohort consisted of more men than women (75% vs 24%), with only three patients identifying as non-binary. Irrespective of the patients' own gender, patients preferred a male urologist when problems were considered embarrassing, limiting daily activities, or when worrisome. When problems were considered painful, all patients preferred a female urologist. When patients had had a previous positive experience with a female or male urologist, they preferred to be treated by a female or male urologist, respectively. Overall, 65% of patients stated a gender preference for at least one given situation, or consultation scenario.

Conclusion: As the majority of our patients stated a gender preference, urological departments should be considerate of potential patients' preferences for urologist gender that may be based on the individual patient's history, taking a comprehensive approach to fulfill the patients' need for same gender urologists in educational hospitals and health care services.

Keywords: decision making; gender; health economics; health services research; medical research; patient-centered care; person-centered medicine; public health; sex; urologist.