Hospitalized medical patients may fare better when treated by female physicians, study finds

by ICES

edited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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Patients cared for by female physicians in the hospital were less likely to die or be readmitted than those treated by male physicians, according to a new ICES study led by a University of Toronto researcher. This suggests that care by female physicians may be associated with better short- and long-term outcomes among patients hospitalized with common medical diagnoses.

The study is published in the October issue of JAMA Network Open.

"Past research has largely focused on surgical patients and the admitting physician only. Our findings add to the growing body of research examining the relationship between physician sex and patient outcomes, broadening the evidence beyond surgical care to a wider range of medical conditions and other physicians," says Dr. Angela Jerath, an ICES scientist and associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

The study analyzed ICES data on 958,150 adults hospitalized for one of seven common medical diagnoses, such as acute myocardial infarction and pneumonia, between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2022.

Of the patients, 259,759 were treated by female physicians and 698,391 by male physicians. As care may be transferred among multiple physicians during a hospital stay, the researchers examined whether patient outcomes varied according to the sex of the most responsible physician and the extent to which patients received care from female physicians during their hospital stay.

Patients cared for by female physicians had a lower 30-day mortality rate than those cared for by male physicians (12.3% vs. 13.7%), as well as a slightly lower hospital readmission rate (18.6% vs. 18.9%). Greater exposure to care from female physicians during hospitalization was also associated with 7% lower odds of dying within 30 days. Similar patterns were observed at 90 days and one year.

A possible explanation for this difference is that female physicians may engage in more patient-centered communication and spend more time with patients. Furthermore, female physicians may be more likely to order guideline-directed treatments, consult colleagues and share decision-making.

"The goal is not to favor one group of physicians over another but to identify practices and behaviors that may help improve care across the health system," says Jerath. "An important strength of this study is that, unlike surgical care, patients admitted to the hospital for medical conditions are generally assigned physicians based on rotating schedules rather than patient or referring physician preferences, helping to minimize referral bias."

The researchers recommend further research to determine whether clinical care differs by physician sex and whether these findings can be extended to other settings locally and in other countries.

Publication details

Physician sex and outcomes among hospitalized patients, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026/41487

Journal information: JAMA Network Open

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Hospital medicine Provided by ICES Who's behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

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