WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Male patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) perceive better physician communication with respect to demonstrating respect, listening, and explanations, according to a study published online June 19 in The Journal of Dermatology.

Lucy F. Harvey, from the Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2002 to 2015 and 2018. Male and female patients' perceived quality of physician communication was examined among 91,619 patients with HS aged 21 to 85 years (27.18 percent male and 72.52 percent female).

The researchers found that female patients perceived that clinicians were significantly worse at demonstrating respect, listening, and explaining concepts compared with male patients on multivariable linear regression adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, income, insurance, education, and medical comorbidities. In terms of perceptions of time spent with clinicians, no significant difference was seen for female and male patients. Both male and female patients perceived that female physicians better spent time with them than male physicians (3.71 versus 3.32).

"Because HS is a condition that primarily impacts female patients, physicians may need to be especially considerate of how they are communicating with female patients with the disease," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text