Patient preference for a healthcare professional is mediated by the physician gender. The primary aim was to assess the gender preference for an endoscopist in a cohort of Muslim patients. The secondary aim was to identify factors that influence gender preference.
MethodsThis was a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted at 3 tertiary-care hospitals in Pakistan. Consecutive patients scheduled for elective outpatient upper endoscopy or colonoscopy were asked to complete a questionnaire immediately before and after the procedure. Data collected included patient demographics, occupation, education level, procedure type, gender preference, and reason for preference.
ResultsA total of 1078 patients completed the questionnaire (43.5 ± 15.8 years; 53.2% males). Upper endoscopy was the most frequent procedure, performed in 84% of patients. Gender preference was expressed by 707 (65.6%) patients, of which 511 (72.3%) were willing to wait for an average of 7 days for an endoscopist of the preferred gender. Male patients’ preferences (45.1% male endoscopist, 17.1% female endoscopist, 37.8% no preference) differed from female participants’ (16.9% male endoscopist, 52.6% female endoscopist, and 30.5% no preference), p < 0.00001. No education was associated with having a gender preference (odds ratio [OR] 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.81; p = 0.003). Reasons for gender preference included religious values and family pressure, which were more frequently expressed by females (p < 0.0001).
ConclusionsMost Muslims in Pakistan expressed a gender preference, and both female and male patients showed a preference for a same-gender endoscopist. No education was associated with having a gender preference.
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