The present study was designed to fill significant gaps in the research literature by investigating the impact of gender congruence in medical communication and patient satisfaction in the Japanese context. New primary care patients (54 males and 49 females) were randomly allocated to a study of internists (6 males and 5 females). Recorded visits were coded in the Rotera Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). After the visit, patients completed the Japanese version of the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS). Female concurrent visits showed higher levels of patient focus than all other gender combinations. Female doctors significantly modified their communication based on patient gender, while male doctors did not. Gender congruence was associated with higher female patient satisfaction but lower male patient satisfaction compared to gender incongruent visits. Contrary to the normative experience of medicine as a male-dominated profession in Japan and gender power differentials, clinical communication between the sexes is less likely to satisfy male patients than female patients, while communication between women is positively associated with female patient satisfaction.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738399112004612