Referring and Specialist Physician Gender and Specialist Billing.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

While a gender pay gap in medicine has been well documented, relatively little research has addressed mechanisms that mediate gender differences in referral income for specialists.

Objective

To examine gender-based disparities in medical and surgical specialist referrals in Ontario, Canada.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study included referrals for specialist care ascertained from Ontario Health Insurance Plan physician billings for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Participants were specialist physicians who received new patient consultations from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, and the associated referring physicians. Data were analyzed from April 2018 to March 2020, including a 12-month follow-up period.

Exposures

Specialist and

SUBMITTER: Chami N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10457710 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature