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Principles and practice of women's health care.
Brink-Muinen, A. van den. Principles and practice of women's health care. Women's Health Issues: 1998, 8(2), p. 123-130.
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Background
Interest in the principles and practice of women's health care has increased during the past decade, both in mental and somatic health care. In the Netherlands, a center for women's health care was establîshed in 1980 in Utrecht. It was called "Aletta", after Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929), who was one of the driving forces of Dutch feminism. Women's health care is based on the philosophy of feminist health care and it is based on several principles. As little is known about how these principles of women's health care are put into practice during doctor-patient consultations, the aim of this study was to investigate 1) how the principles of women's health care are applied in the doctor-patient consultations of women's health care as compared to regular health care and 2) if differences are related to the type of health care. Additionally, a comparison was made between female and male GPs.
Study design
Consultations of female patients with their genera! practitioners were video-taped in their entirety, with the exception of physical examinations during which only the verbal doctor-patient communication was recorded. Data were derived from consultations between female patients aged 15 years and older and their GPs. Three groups of GPs were studied: the four female GPs of the Utrecht women's health care practice Aletta, eight female and eight male GPs providing regular health. The mean number of consultations per GP vvas approximately 20, resulting in a total of 405 consultations.
In the Aletta practice, 70% of the patients agreed to participate; in the other practices, 85°/4) agreed to participate.
Results
The Aletta GPs and the female regular GPs seemed to apply the different items of this principle equally. All female GPs considered the patients' gender identity and gender roles as well as the patient's feelings more often than the male GPs did. All the items, however, had low scores. The two groups of female GPs differed from their male colleagues in some aspects. The female GPs referred more often to the living situation in relation to a health problem, and they explained more that a woman's health problems could be related to her living or working conditions.
All GPs appeared to respect their female patients highly. Compared to the male regular GPs, the Aletta GPs gave clearer information, had a more egalitarian attitude, and like the female regular GPs, more often showed acceptance of the patient's norms and values.
The Aletta GPs differed especially from the male GPs with respect to the "encouragement of the patient's self-responsibility and self-detennination." The Aletta GPs and also the female regular GPs more often involved their patients in decision-making and also asked their patients what they had done to help themselves to get better more often. Aletta GPs gave patients information about illnesses and about various treatment possibilities, and they asked the patient's opinion about medical aspects more often than did both the female and male regular GPs.
Discussion
In general, the principles of women's health care seem to be applied by general practitioners equally. However, there are also some differences, especially between Aletta doctors and male doctors. Female doctors look more like each other than like male doctors. The principles are more visible in women doctors' daily practicing, and even more in the practicing of the Aletta GPs. Although the differences are small, regular health care might benefit by applying some of the distinguishing aspects of women's health care. The results could be integrated in the medical school curricula and postgraduate training.
Interest in the principles and practice of women's health care has increased during the past decade, both in mental and somatic health care. In the Netherlands, a center for women's health care was establîshed in 1980 in Utrecht. It was called "Aletta", after Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929), who was one of the driving forces of Dutch feminism. Women's health care is based on the philosophy of feminist health care and it is based on several principles. As little is known about how these principles of women's health care are put into practice during doctor-patient consultations, the aim of this study was to investigate 1) how the principles of women's health care are applied in the doctor-patient consultations of women's health care as compared to regular health care and 2) if differences are related to the type of health care. Additionally, a comparison was made between female and male GPs.
Study design
Consultations of female patients with their genera! practitioners were video-taped in their entirety, with the exception of physical examinations during which only the verbal doctor-patient communication was recorded. Data were derived from consultations between female patients aged 15 years and older and their GPs. Three groups of GPs were studied: the four female GPs of the Utrecht women's health care practice Aletta, eight female and eight male GPs providing regular health. The mean number of consultations per GP vvas approximately 20, resulting in a total of 405 consultations.
In the Aletta practice, 70% of the patients agreed to participate; in the other practices, 85°/4) agreed to participate.
Results
The Aletta GPs and the female regular GPs seemed to apply the different items of this principle equally. All female GPs considered the patients' gender identity and gender roles as well as the patient's feelings more often than the male GPs did. All the items, however, had low scores. The two groups of female GPs differed from their male colleagues in some aspects. The female GPs referred more often to the living situation in relation to a health problem, and they explained more that a woman's health problems could be related to her living or working conditions.
All GPs appeared to respect their female patients highly. Compared to the male regular GPs, the Aletta GPs gave clearer information, had a more egalitarian attitude, and like the female regular GPs, more often showed acceptance of the patient's norms and values.
The Aletta GPs differed especially from the male GPs with respect to the "encouragement of the patient's self-responsibility and self-detennination." The Aletta GPs and also the female regular GPs more often involved their patients in decision-making and also asked their patients what they had done to help themselves to get better more often. Aletta GPs gave patients information about illnesses and about various treatment possibilities, and they asked the patient's opinion about medical aspects more often than did both the female and male regular GPs.
Discussion
In general, the principles of women's health care seem to be applied by general practitioners equally. However, there are also some differences, especially between Aletta doctors and male doctors. Female doctors look more like each other than like male doctors. The principles are more visible in women doctors' daily practicing, and even more in the practicing of the Aletta GPs. Although the differences are small, regular health care might benefit by applying some of the distinguishing aspects of women's health care. The results could be integrated in the medical school curricula and postgraduate training.
Background
Interest in the principles and practice of women's health care has increased during the past decade, both in mental and somatic health care. In the Netherlands, a center for women's health care was establîshed in 1980 in Utrecht. It was called "Aletta", after Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929), who was one of the driving forces of Dutch feminism. Women's health care is based on the philosophy of feminist health care and it is based on several principles. As little is known about how these principles of women's health care are put into practice during doctor-patient consultations, the aim of this study was to investigate 1) how the principles of women's health care are applied in the doctor-patient consultations of women's health care as compared to regular health care and 2) if differences are related to the type of health care. Additionally, a comparison was made between female and male GPs.
Study design
Consultations of female patients with their genera! practitioners were video-taped in their entirety, with the exception of physical examinations during which only the verbal doctor-patient communication was recorded. Data were derived from consultations between female patients aged 15 years and older and their GPs. Three groups of GPs were studied: the four female GPs of the Utrecht women's health care practice Aletta, eight female and eight male GPs providing regular health. The mean number of consultations per GP vvas approximately 20, resulting in a total of 405 consultations.
In the Aletta practice, 70% of the patients agreed to participate; in the other practices, 85°/4) agreed to participate.
Results
The Aletta GPs and the female regular GPs seemed to apply the different items of this principle equally. All female GPs considered the patients' gender identity and gender roles as well as the patient's feelings more often than the male GPs did. All the items, however, had low scores. The two groups of female GPs differed from their male colleagues in some aspects. The female GPs referred more often to the living situation in relation to a health problem, and they explained more that a woman's health problems could be related to her living or working conditions.
All GPs appeared to respect their female patients highly. Compared to the male regular GPs, the Aletta GPs gave clearer information, had a more egalitarian attitude, and like the female regular GPs, more often showed acceptance of the patient's norms and values.
The Aletta GPs differed especially from the male GPs with respect to the "encouragement of the patient's self-responsibility and self-detennination." The Aletta GPs and also the female regular GPs more often involved their patients in decision-making and also asked their patients what they had done to help themselves to get better more often. Aletta GPs gave patients information about illnesses and about various treatment possibilities, and they asked the patient's opinion about medical aspects more often than did both the female and male regular GPs.
Discussion
In general, the principles of women's health care seem to be applied by general practitioners equally. However, there are also some differences, especially between Aletta doctors and male doctors. Female doctors look more like each other than like male doctors. The principles are more visible in women doctors' daily practicing, and even more in the practicing of the Aletta GPs. Although the differences are small, regular health care might benefit by applying some of the distinguishing aspects of women's health care. The results could be integrated in the medical school curricula and postgraduate training.
Interest in the principles and practice of women's health care has increased during the past decade, both in mental and somatic health care. In the Netherlands, a center for women's health care was establîshed in 1980 in Utrecht. It was called "Aletta", after Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929), who was one of the driving forces of Dutch feminism. Women's health care is based on the philosophy of feminist health care and it is based on several principles. As little is known about how these principles of women's health care are put into practice during doctor-patient consultations, the aim of this study was to investigate 1) how the principles of women's health care are applied in the doctor-patient consultations of women's health care as compared to regular health care and 2) if differences are related to the type of health care. Additionally, a comparison was made between female and male GPs.
Study design
Consultations of female patients with their genera! practitioners were video-taped in their entirety, with the exception of physical examinations during which only the verbal doctor-patient communication was recorded. Data were derived from consultations between female patients aged 15 years and older and their GPs. Three groups of GPs were studied: the four female GPs of the Utrecht women's health care practice Aletta, eight female and eight male GPs providing regular health. The mean number of consultations per GP vvas approximately 20, resulting in a total of 405 consultations.
In the Aletta practice, 70% of the patients agreed to participate; in the other practices, 85°/4) agreed to participate.
Results
The Aletta GPs and the female regular GPs seemed to apply the different items of this principle equally. All female GPs considered the patients' gender identity and gender roles as well as the patient's feelings more often than the male GPs did. All the items, however, had low scores. The two groups of female GPs differed from their male colleagues in some aspects. The female GPs referred more often to the living situation in relation to a health problem, and they explained more that a woman's health problems could be related to her living or working conditions.
All GPs appeared to respect their female patients highly. Compared to the male regular GPs, the Aletta GPs gave clearer information, had a more egalitarian attitude, and like the female regular GPs, more often showed acceptance of the patient's norms and values.
The Aletta GPs differed especially from the male GPs with respect to the "encouragement of the patient's self-responsibility and self-detennination." The Aletta GPs and also the female regular GPs more often involved their patients in decision-making and also asked their patients what they had done to help themselves to get better more often. Aletta GPs gave patients information about illnesses and about various treatment possibilities, and they asked the patient's opinion about medical aspects more often than did both the female and male regular GPs.
Discussion
In general, the principles of women's health care seem to be applied by general practitioners equally. However, there are also some differences, especially between Aletta doctors and male doctors. Female doctors look more like each other than like male doctors. The principles are more visible in women doctors' daily practicing, and even more in the practicing of the Aletta GPs. Although the differences are small, regular health care might benefit by applying some of the distinguishing aspects of women's health care. The results could be integrated in the medical school curricula and postgraduate training.