Endovascular treatment decision in acute stroke: does physician gender matter? Insights from UNMASK EVT, an international, multidisciplinary survey

• Published in: Journal of neurointerventional surgery Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 256 - 259
• Main Authors: Ospel, Johanna Maria, Kashani, Nima, Wilson, Alexis T, Fischer, Urs, Campbell, Bruce C V, Sylaja, Pillai N, Yoshimura, Shinichi, Rabinstein, Alejandro A, Turjman, Francis, Mitchell, Peter, Kim, Byung Moon, Cherian, Mathew P, Heo, Ji Hoe, Baxter, Blaise W, Podlasek, Anna, Foss, Mona, Menon, Bijoy K, Almekhlafi, Mohammed A, Demchuk, Andrew M, Hill, Michael D, Saposnik, Gustavo, Goyal, Mayank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Age; Decision making; Gender; Internal medicine; Physicians; Stroke; Working conditions; South America; East Asia; stroke; thrombectomy
• ISSN: 1759-8478; 1759-8486
• DOI: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2019-015003

Background and purposeDifferences in the treatment practice of female and male physicians have been shown in several medical subspecialties. It is currently not known whether this also applies to endovascular stroke treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there are differences in endovascular treatment decisions made by female and male stroke physicians and neurointerventionalists.MethodsIn an international survey, stroke physicians and neurointerventionalists were randomly assigned 10 case scenarios and asked how they would treat the patient: (A) assuming there were no external constraints and (B) given their local working conditions. Descriptive statistics were used to describe baseline demographics, and the adjusted OR for physician gender as a predictor of endovascular treatment decision was calculated using logistic regression.Results607 physicians (97 women, 508 men, 2 who did not wish to declare) participated in this survey. Physician gender was neither a significant predictor for endovascular treatment decision under assumed ideal conditions (endovascular therapy was favored by 77.0% of female and 79.3% of male physicians, adjusted OR 1.03, P=0.806) nor under current local resources (endovascular therapy was favored by 69.1% of female and 76.9% of male physicians, adjusted OR 1.03, P=0.814).ConclusionEndovascular therapy decision making between male and female physicians did not differ under assumed ideal conditions or under current local resources.