Qualities and attributes desired in menopause clinicians.

Objective: To assess the qualities and attributes desired in menopause clinicians.

Design: Women > or =45 years of age (n=72) were surveyed about the qualities and attributes desired in their physician. Surveys were performed in physician waiting rooms in Connecticut.

Results: Although fewer men are entering the practice of ObGyn, more than 88% of peri- and post-menopausal women believe that gender does not affect the quality of their women's health provider. Among the 68 women from whom valid data were obtained, experience (95.6%), knowledge (95.6%), and ability (92.6%) were the most important qualities. Only 4.2% listed gender in the top three most important qualities. If the patient's visit was for wellness- and screening-related issues, 6.6% (n=4) preferred a male, 13.1% (n=8) preferred a female, and 80.3% (n=49) had no preference for gender. The percentage of patients preferring to see a female was slightly higher (29.2%) if the visit was for a pelvic exam, while the percentage preferring to see a male (14.5%) was greater if care involved gynecological surgery.

Conclusions: As medical practices meet the increasing demand of menopausal women, it is helpful to know the qualities and attributes that patients desire. Menopause clinicians should seek to convey experience, knowledge, and competence to their patients. A menopause practice should strive for a well-diversified team that will bring these qualities to menopausal patients. Given the shifting balance of male and female ObGyn providers, when hiring providers or establishing a menopause clinic, it is helpful to know that gender diversification is of minor importance.