Gender Differences in Patient-Physician Communication in Ophthalmic Practice, Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Period

Abstract

Purpose: Physician communication patterns can increase patient satisfaction and adherence to therapy in the primary care setting. This study investigated gender differences in ophthalmologist communication patterns before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Messages sent by ophthalmic patients at Penn Medicine from 2017 to 2022 were collected. Differences in the number of physician messages sent for a given patient, median response length, and response time to patient inquiries and messages were examined based on year and physician gender.

Results: Female ophthalmologists sent longer response messages to their patients (median [25th, 75th percentiles] response length for women vs men: 672 [492-965] characters vs 637 [460, 918] characters; P < .0001) and a higher number of response messages per patient than their male counterparts (mean [SD] for women vs men: 5.5 [2.9] vs 3.0 [1.5]; P = .04). There was an increase in this gender difference in the peri- and post-COVID-19 period (ie, 2020-2022) (P = .007). Male ophthalmologists sent a higher percentage of same-day responses from 2017 to 2020 (P < .0001), whereas female ophthalmologists sent a higher percentage of same-day responses from 2021 to 2022 (P < .0001). The largest gender difference in same-day responses occurred in 2020 (34% for men vs 30% for women; P < .0001).

Conclusions: Gender differences exist in ophthalmologist communication patterns, and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted these differences. Future studies will be helpful in determining the potential association of these specific communication patterns with patient satisfaction assessments, eye health outcomes, and physician burnout.