Dominance and gender in the physician-patient interaction

The goal of this review is to show that physician-patient interactions differ in the degree of dominance asymmetry between the physician and the patient, that physician's dominance behavior is related to negative patient outcomes, and that physician gender affects how physician dominance is perceived by patients. The article provides (1) an overview of existing findings on dominance in the physician-patient interaction, (2) a summary of gender differences in dominance with an emphasis on the physician-patient interaction, and (3) an explanation on why it might be more important for women doctors than for men doctors to adhere to a non-dominant interaction style.