Physician Gender and Women's Preventive Services

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine whether the gender of women's regular physicians, controlling for physician specialty, is associated with women's receiving key preventive services within recommended intervals. Design: Cross-sectional, nationally representative women's health telephone survey conducted by Louis Harris and Associates in February and March 1993 for The Commonwealth Fund. Participants: A total of 2,525 women in the continental United States, ≥18 years old, including oversamples of African-American and Hispanic women. Main Outcome Measures: Receipt of each of five preventive services (blood pressure reading, Pap smear, cholesterol test, clinical breast examination, and mammogram) within specific periods. Results: Physician gender makes a significant difference for two specialty areas and for three preventive services. Patients of women family or general practitioners are more likely than the patients of men to have received a Pap smear or a blood cholesterol test within the last 3 years, and ...