Only 40 percent of male patients returned to a female physician at a new practice, according to athenahealth data.
This finding comes from an analysis of more than two million primary care visits on the athenahealth network in the first six months of 2014. The study looked at the number of patients during this time frame who returned to a new practice within 18 months of their first visit.
Here are four findings from the study, according to athenainsight.
1. About half of the patients returned to the new practice if they were the same gender as their physician.
2. Women returned to male physicians at about the same rate (49 percent). Just over half of female patients (52 percent) returned to female physicians.
3. While just 40 percent of male patients returned to a female physician, 50 percent returned to a male physician.
4. This pattern held up for commercially insured patients, but there was no difference in return rates for men based on the gender of the physician among Medicaid beneficiaries.