In my opinion, this retrospective and observational study is of high quality. It has a good statistical analysis. Their statements about the differences in mortality and readmission don’t always have a high statistical significance, sometimes they show small differences, but, overall, the work has potential. The assessments confirm the initial thesis -already known- on the use of a different praxis according to sex. 

The previous scientific evidence that is cited in the introduction already shows differences in the results of the medical practice depending on the sex of the practitioner but, until now, these hadn’t been correlated with a decrease in hospital mortality and a decrease in the readmission rate when [the patients] were treated by a female physician. This difference in terms of benefit was much more pronounced if the treatment was directed towards women. The authors highlight that, while the study details current facts, in the future, it should be studied why is this happening and what makes the treatment offered by female physicians different, especially towards women: whether it is just a matter of taking the signs and symptoms of female patients more seriously, or whether there is another difference that should be studied and that, in the future, could be applied by male physicians as well. The future implication of this study is to be able to guarantee that men and women are treated equally, without gender bias in care. 

[Regarding the limitations of the work:] The study was conducted on older patients, so it can’t be known for certain whether the difference in patient’s treatment according to sex occurs amongst younger people.

A U.S. study has found that patients treated by female physicians have lower mortality and hospital readmission rates than those treated by male physicians. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and involving more than 700,000 patients over the age of 65, found that the effects were even greater when female patients were treated by female physicians.