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The following is a summary of “Effect of patient gender on the decision of ceiling of care: an European study of emergency physicians’ treatment decisions in simulated cases,” published in the December 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Vromant et al.
Gender bias in healthcare influences clinical decision-making, affecting the patient gender shapes decisions to limit tracheal intubation in emergency medicine.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine whether patient gender influenced emergency physicians’ recommendations for tracheal intubation in individuals with critically illness.
They performed a European survey-based study in April 2024 using a standardized clinical scenario to evaluate physicians’ decisions in a controlled setting. The survey included 3,423 emergency physicians (46% women, median age 40 years) over 2 weeks. Researchers reviewed a vignette of a 75-year-old in acute respiratory distress, with scenarios randomized by gender (woman/man) and functional status: who can grocery shop alone, cannot grocery shop alone but can bathe independently, or cannot perform either task independently.
The results showed 3,423 physicians responded, primarily from France, Spain, Italy, and the UK (1532, 494, 247, and 245, respectively). Female patients were less likely to be intubated compared to male patients [67.9% vs 71.7%; difference 3.81%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.7–6.9%]. Intubation recommendations decreased as the patient’s functional status declined. Female physician gender was also linked to a lower likelihood of recommending intubation.
Investigators concluded a significant gender-based disparity existed in emergency care decision-making, with female patients less likely to receive intubation recommendations, though results should be interpreted cautiously due to potential limitations.
