Who's a good gaspasser?

[George K]

Anesthesiologist Age and Sex Influence Patient Perceptions of Physician Competence

Background

Uncovering patients’ biases toward characteristics of anesthesiologists may inform ways to improve the patient–anesthesiologist relationship. The authors previously demonstrated that patients prefer anesthesiologists displaying confident body language, but did not detect a sex bias. The effect of anesthesiologists’ age on patient perceptions has not been studied. In this follow-up study, it was hypothesized that patients would prefer older-appearing anesthesiologists over younger-appearing anesthesiologists and male over female anesthesiologists.

Methods
Three hundred adult, English-speaking patients were recruited in the Preanesthesia Evaluation and Testing Center. Patients were randomized (150 per group) to view a set of four videos in random order. Each 90-s video featured an older female, older male, younger female, or younger male anesthesiologist reciting the same script describing general anesthesia. Patients ranked each anesthesiologist on confidence, intelligence, and likelihood of choosing the anesthesiologist to care for their family member. Patients also chose the one anesthesiologist who seemed most like a leader.

Results
Three hundred patients watched the videos and completed the questionnaire. Among patients younger than age 65 yr, the older anesthesiologists had greater odds of being ranked more confident (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.41 to 2.64; P < 0.001) and more intelligent (odds ratio, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.62 to 3.11; P < 0.001), and had greater odds of being considered a leader (odds ratio, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.72 to 4.00; P < 0.001) when compared with younger anesthesiologists. The preference for older anesthesiologists was not observed in patients age 65 and older. Female anesthesiologists had greater odds of being ranked more confident (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.87; P = 0.003) and more likely to be chosen to care for one’s family member (odds ratio, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.40 to 2.31; P < 0.001) compared with male anesthesiologists. The ranking preference for female anesthesiologists on these two measures was observed among white patients and not among nonwhite patients.

Conclusions
Patients preferred older anesthesiologists on the measures of confidence, intelligence, and leadership. Patients also preferred female anesthesiologists on the measures of confidence and likelihood of choosing the anesthesiologist to care for one’s family member.

Just for the record, I retired 4 years ago today, at the age of 66.

[Copper]

[taiwan_girl]

Interesting. I have only had put to sleep one time, when I had surgery on where my thumb broke right where is connects to the hand.

And actually (no offense George K), I do not even remember the anesthesiologist. LOL

[George K]

@taiwan_girl said in Who's a good gaspasser?:

I do not even remember the anesthesiologist

We, as a profession, cherish our anonymity. Be wary of gas passers who don't.

[Aqua Letifer]

Couple of exchanges between my anesthesiologist and I when I went in for my gallbladder removal:

He walks into the room "Hey there. Know who I am?"
"Yep. You're wearing the hat."
"Okay, great. I'll forego the talk about how the surgery isn't going to be scary then and get right to the questions."

Later, down in the surgery waiting area:
Me: "Say..."
"Yes?"
"Do you mind if I get up and go to the bathroom before you take me in?"
"Oh please God yes. THANK you."
"Yeah, I know the game."
"The game?"
"The Code Brown game."
"Yes. Okay good for you. Good for us too I suppose."