How many of you saw the results of a research report suggesting you might live longer if you have a female doctor? The research study was done by UCLA. It found that patients that are treated by female doctors have lower mortality rates and fewer hospital readmissions than if they have male doctors. It also found that women seem to benefit from this more than men.

The study analyzed Medicare claims of over 700,000 patients over a three year period. They found that the mortality rate when female patients are seen by a female doctor was 8.15 percent versus 8.38 percent if the doctor was male. When it came to male patients, the mortality rate was 10.15 percent if they had a female doctor versus 10.23 percent if their doctor was male.

The pattern continued when they looked at hospital readmission rates. Patients who saw a female doctor were less likely to have a return trip to the hospital within 30 days.

The study’s author said what the findings show is that female and male doctors practice medicine differently. One reason given is that male doctors might underestimate the severity of an illness if the patient is female. They also said that communication might play a role. I think this is also about whether your doctor listens to what you are saying, not just about how they might provide you with information.

Researchers feel more research is needed and it might lead to improvements in patient care. The study is similar to one done by Harvard University in 2020. That study showed that hospital patients who have a female doctor were not only less likely to be hospitalized again, they were less likely to die.

So, should you run right out and switch to a female doctor if you don’t already have one? The researchers say no. Training, experience and bedside manner also contribute to the kind of care you get from a doctor. They do believe that the way male and female doctors approach patient care can sometimes affect outcomes.

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Another recent article that I read makes me a little sad. It said that unretiring is becoming a trend and that 12 percent of retired Americans will go back to work this year. The main reason is that they need money to survive, this number was 55 percent of the total. In addition, 47 percent said they were bored and 33 percent said they needed the job for the insurance. A total of 25 percent of Americans over 50 don’t expect to ever retire.

And a problem with going back to work when you are older is that you probably won’t get paid what you were making when you were working full-time.

This makes me sad for a couple of reasons. The first being that at some point I want to retire. The second is why would you be bored? There are so many things to occupy life besides work. It says to me that many people haven’t found a work/life balance and they are probably working too much and not enjoying